The labelling of people can be related to a reference group.
The second looks at the influence of "reference groups" (section 1.4 below).
We then created two dichotomous variables, black and other, with white race as the reference group.
Is this the reference group that launched a thousand ships?
In this example, group 1 was chosen to be the reference group.
With different personal goals, individuals would take different types of reference groups.
Change your reference group, and you'll find that you're suddenly feeling much better (or worse) about your situation.
The reference group is one of the most widely used concepts in social science and also in market research.
But, above all, the impact of the reference group is seen most clearly in the life-style adopted by youth.
It involves a change in most consumers' reference groups.