Final answer:
Reference groups are influential social groups that individuals use as standards to evaluate their behaviors and beliefs. They provide norms, influence opinions and values, and can include peer groups, athletes, or cultural entities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Reference groups are groups that serve as sources of comparison, influence, and norms for people's opinions, values, and behaviors. For instance, peer groups, athletes, and cultural centers often act as reference groups, providing a benchmark against which individuals measure their own actions and beliefs. These groups play a crucial role in socialization, offering competing messages that help individuals form their social identities and decide how to behave.
Whether it is a group of peers in school, a favorite music band, or a professional circle at the workplace, these reference groups exert an influence, sometimes subtly, on a person's daily decisions and self-perception. A middle school student might look to his classmates, an older sibling's friends, or favorite athletes as reference groups for cues on how to act and what to value. Multiple reference groups can provide diverse norms and standards, which can sometimes be in conflict with each other, making it important for individuals to choose positive groups to associate with.