When we’re unsure what to do, we often look to other people for guidance. We might assume they have more experience, understand the situation better, or know something we don’t. Psychologists call this informational social influence.
This is especially common when we’re somewhere unfamiliar or facing a task for the first time. Other people’s behaviour gives us information that we can use to make a decision. We may even come to believe that their approach is the best one, rather than simply copying them to fit in.
Informational social influence can be helpful, but its usefulness depends on whether the people we’re learning from actually know what they’re doing. These ten examples show how it works in everyday life.
1. Finding a Seat on the First Day of University
Walking into a lecture hall on your first day can feel overwhelming. You’re trying to find your way around, you don’t know many people, and even choosing a seat can leave you wondering what you’re supposed to do. Are the front rows usually left empty? Is there a reason everyone is sitting near the middle?
If you notice most students choosing a particular area, you might sit there too. You assume they know something about the room, such as where it’s easiest to hear the lecturer or see the screen. Their choices help you make a decision without having to ask.
What makes this informational social influence is your reason for following them: you think their behaviour tells you something useful. If you chose the same seats mainly because you didn’t want to stand out, that would be closer to normative social influence, which involves fitting in or gaining acceptance. In practice, both motives can be present.
2. Figuring Out an Unfamiliar Ticket Machine
Imagine arriving at a train station and trying to use a ticket machine you’ve never seen before. The screen offers several ticket types, and you’re unsure which option will take you to your destination. With people waiting behind you, you may feel pressured to get it right quickly.
Watching another passenger use the machine can make the process clearer. You see where they start, how they select a destination, and when they pay. Their actions become a demonstration that helps you understand the steps.
You’re relying on their apparent experience to reduce the chance of making a mistake. However, their choices may only be useful up to a point. They could be buying a different ticket or qualifying for a discount that doesn’t apply to you. Watching them can teach you how the machine works, while your own journey still determines which options you need.
3. Picking Up the Unwritten Rules at Work
A new job comes with plenty of instructions, but some of the most useful things you learn are never written down. You might know when a meeting starts without knowing how people usually contribute. Do they ask questions as they come up, or wait until the speaker finishes? Is disagreement expressed directly or more gently?
By observing experienced colleagues, you start to understand these patterns. If people regularly pause before asking a question, you may do the same. If the manager welcomes discussion throughout a presentation, you may become more comfortable speaking up.
This is informational social influence when you treat your colleagues’ behaviour as evidence about how the workplace operates. It helps you navigate situations that formal training may not cover. Still, one person’s habits may not represent the whole organisation, so it helps to observe several people and ask questions when something remains unclear.
4. Ordering Food in an Unfamiliar Country
Trying food in a new country can be exciting, but ordering isn’t always straightforward. You may not understand the menu, recognise the ingredients, or know which dishes the restaurant specialises in. Looking at nearby tables can give you a starting point.
If several local customers are eating the same dish, you might assume it’s a popular or dependable choice. Their familiarity with the cuisine makes their decisions seem more informative than your own guess. You may feel more confident ordering something you’ve seen other people enjoy.
The reasoning is understandable, but popularity doesn’t tell you everything. The dish might be inexpensive, part of a lunch special, or suited to tastes you don’t share. Other people’s choices can help narrow your options, but you may still need to ask about ingredients or consider your own preferences.
5. Trying a Classmate’s Study Methods
Suppose you spend hours reviewing lecture notes but still struggle to understand the material. You notice that a classmate seems more organised and can explain difficult ideas clearly. Their notes include diagrams, short summaries, and questions they use to test themselves.
You might try some of those methods because you believe your classmate has found an effective way to learn. Their apparent understanding gives you a reason to take their approach seriously. Rather than inventing a study routine from scratch, you build on something that seems to be working for someone else.
This influence can help you discover useful strategies, but it doesn’t mean you need to copy their whole routine. Different subjects and learning needs may call for different approaches. The value comes from trying the method, seeing whether it improves your understanding, and adjusting it as you learn what works for you.
6. Choosing Between Similar Products
You’re in a shop comparing two products, and neither seems obviously better. The packaging makes similar claims, the prices are close, and you don’t know enough about the products to judge their quality. Then another shopper picks one without much hesitation.
That small action may affect your decision. You might assume they’ve used it before or know something about the brand. Their confidence makes their choice feel like a useful piece of information, even though you haven’t spoken to them.
This shows how easily we can fill gaps in our knowledge with assumptions about other people. The shopper may have chosen the product because it was familiar, cheaper, or requested by someone at home. Their decision can be a clue, but it offers limited evidence about which product will best meet your needs.
7. Following an Online Tutorial
Online tutorials give us access to people who appear to know how to do things we haven’t learned yet. Whether you’re repairing a bicycle, removing a stain, or adjusting a camera, watching someone perform the task can make the instructions easier to understand.
As you follow along, you rely on the creator’s knowledge. They show you which tools to use, explain the order of the steps, and sometimes point out common mistakes. This can reduce uncertainty and help you build enough confidence to attempt the task yourself.
The informational influence comes from accepting their demonstration as a reliable guide. However, a polished video or a confident speaker doesn’t necessarily indicate expertise. Their method might be inaccurate or unsuitable for your particular equipment or materials. Understanding why the steps work, rather than only copying them, can help you judge whether the advice applies.
8. Following Classmates After a Timetable Change
Imagine discovering that your class has moved, but the updated timetable doesn’t clearly show where you should go. As you look around, you see several classmates heading towards another building. You decide to follow because you assume they have the correct information.
Their movement becomes indirect evidence about the location of the class. Following them saves time and seems reasonable, especially if they look certain about where they’re going. You don’t need an explicit instruction to be influenced by their behaviour.
The problem is that the group’s apparent certainty may be misleading. One student might have guessed, while everyone else followed that student. What looks like several people independently knowing the answer could actually be a chain of people relying on the same uncertain decision. This helps explain how confusion can spread even when everyone is trying to make a sensible choice.
9. Learning to Judge Creative Work
When you begin learning photography, pottery, or graphic design, you may know what you like without being able to explain why. You might also struggle to see what needs changing in your own work. Experienced creators can help you develop that judgement.
By studying their work and listening to their explanations, you start to notice specific choices. A photographer might explain how framing directs attention, while a potter might point out how proportions affect the shape of a bowl. These observations give you a vocabulary and a set of ideas for evaluating your own projects.
Over time, you may adopt some of their standards because you find their reasoning convincing. Their influence changes what you notice and how you assess your work. Still, creative judgements often involve preferences as well as technical knowledge. Learning from experienced people can strengthen your judgement while leaving room for your own style.
10. Seeing a Film Differently After Reading an Analysis
You finish a film and feel puzzled by a character’s actions. Perhaps a decision seems out of place, or the ending doesn’t make sense to you. Later, you read an analysis that connects the character’s behaviour to a detail from an earlier scene.
You return to that scene in your mind and realise you had overlooked something. The explanation gives you a new way to understand the story, and you may revise your original interpretation because it now seems less convincing.
This is informational social influence when the other person’s reasoning changes your understanding. You’re considering information they brought to your attention, rather than agreeing only because their opinion is popular. However, films can support more than one reasonable interpretation. An analysis may deepen your understanding without providing a single definitive answer.
11. Finding Your Way Through an Airport
Airports can be confusing, especially when you’re travelling alone or visiting one for the first time. After leaving the plane, you might be unsure whether to head towards passport control, baggage collection, or a connecting flight. Even with signs overhead, it can take a moment to work out which route applies to you.
You may notice passengers from your flight moving in the same direction and decide to follow them. You assume they understand where to go, so their movement helps you make sense of an unfamiliar place.
This is informational social influence because you use other people’s behaviour as a guide when your own information is incomplete. However, those passengers might have a different destination or need to collect luggage when you don’t. Following the crowd can give you a starting point, but checking the signs and your flight details helps you confirm that you’re on the right path.
12. Learning How to Use Equipment at the Gym
Joining a gym for the first time can feel intimidating. Some machines have instructions printed on them, but it may still be difficult to understand how to adjust the seat, position your body, or perform the movement correctly.
Watching someone who appears experienced can make the equipment seem easier to use. You might notice how they adjust a machine or move through an exercise, then try to follow their example. Their apparent experience gives you confidence in an activity you haven’t learned yet.
The influence is informational because you believe their actions show you how the exercise should be done. Still, looking experienced doesn’t guarantee that someone is using the equipment correctly. Their settings may also be unsuitable for your height or ability. An instructor can help you check what you’ve observed and adapt it to your needs.
13. Understanding How to Sort Recycling
You’re about to throw away a drinks carton, but the recycling bins have unfamiliar labels. Perhaps you’ve moved to a new area or are visiting a university campus where waste is sorted differently. You’re unsure which bin is the right one.
If you see someone place a similar carton in a particular bin, you might do the same. Their action seems to answer a question you couldn’t resolve on your own. You assume they’re familiar with the local system and understand the labels.
This is informational social influence because you’re treating their behaviour as practical guidance. However, the other person may also be guessing, or their packaging may be made from a different material. Looking at the bin’s instructions can help you check whether their choice applies to your item.
14. Finding the Right Queue
At a busy café, you may walk in and find people standing in several different places. Some are near the counter, others are beside the collection area, and it isn’t obvious where you should order. You pause and watch what happens.
When you see someone join a line and eventually speak to the cashier, you might stand behind them. Observing the sequence helps you work out how the service operates, without having to interrupt anyone to ask.
Your choice reflects informational social influence because you believe the other customers know the system. But a queue can look convincing even when it’s the wrong one. People may be waiting to collect online orders or enter a separate area. Watching where the line leads, or asking a quick question, can prevent a simple misunderstanding.
15. Taking Part in an Unfamiliar Cultural Event
Attending a cultural celebration or ceremony for the first time can leave you unsure about how to participate respectfully. You may not know when to stand, whether to remain quiet, or how to respond during a particular part of the event.
By watching people who seem familiar with the occasion, you begin to understand what is happening. If they stand at a certain moment or wait before entering a space, you may follow their lead. Their behaviour provides context that you don’t yet have.
This is informational social influence when your aim is to learn what the actions mean and how to take part appropriately. You may also want to avoid standing out, so both informational and normative influence can be involved. Observing others can help, but asking a host or organiser may give you a clearer understanding, especially when different participants have different roles.
16. Understanding a Difficult News Story
A news story about an unfamiliar topic can be hard to follow. You may understand the main event but feel unsure about its causes, the terms being used, or why people consider it significant. To make sense of it, you turn to someone who seems knowledgeable.
Perhaps a teacher, a friend, or a journalist explains the background and connects the event to something you already understand. Their explanation gives you information that changes how you interpret the story. You may revise your first impression because you now have a fuller picture.
This is informational social influence because your judgement is shaped by another person’s explanation. However, a clear explanation can still be incomplete or biased. Checking the evidence and comparing reliable sources helps you decide whether the interpretation is well supported.
17. Learning How to Play a Board Game
Joining a board game that everyone else has played before can be confusing. Even after hearing the rules, you may struggle to understand which moves are allowed or how the different pieces work together.
Watching an experienced player take a turn can help the rules fall into place. You see how they use their cards, respond to another player, or keep track of points. Their actions turn an abstract explanation into a concrete example.
This becomes informational social influence when you accept their approach because you believe they understand the game better than you do. Still, their strategy is a useful example rather than a guarantee of success. They may be taking a risk, playing under a house rule, or making a mistake. As you gain experience, you can judge their choices more independently.
18. Choosing a Route During a Transport Disruption
You arrive at your usual bus stop and discover that the service has been diverted. The notice is difficult to understand, and you don’t know the surrounding streets well. Other passengers begin walking towards a nearby stop.
You might follow them because you assume they know where the replacement service is running. Their response gives you a possible solution at a moment when you have little information and need to make a decision quickly.
This is informational social influence because you use the passengers’ actions as evidence about what to do next. However, they may be heading towards a different route or simply following someone else. Checking the service update or asking which bus they’re catching can help you decide whether their direction is useful for your journey.
19. Learning How to Pronounce an Unfamiliar Word
You come across a word while reading and understand its meaning, but you’re unsure how to pronounce it. Later, you hear a teacher or a fluent speaker use it in conversation. You listen carefully and begin saying it the same way.
You trust their familiarity with the language to fill a gap in your own knowledge. Hearing the word in a sentence can also help you understand its rhythm and which syllable receives emphasis.
This illustrates informational social influence when you adopt the pronunciation because you believe the speaker is a reliable guide. However, pronunciation can vary across accents and regions, so a different version is not necessarily wrong. Listening to several examples can help you understand those variations and choose a pronunciation suited to the context.
20. Learning How to Care for a Houseplant
You buy your first houseplant, but after a few weeks its leaves begin to droop. You’re unsure whether it needs more water, less water, or a different position. A friend who keeps healthy plants suggests checking the soil before watering and moving it away from direct sunlight.
Because their plants seem to be doing well, you treat their experience as a useful source of guidance. Their advice gives you a way to respond to a problem you don’t yet know how to assess.
This is informational social influence because you change your approach based on someone else’s apparent knowledge. Still, what works for one plant may not work for another. The species, pot, light, and room conditions all matter. Your friend’s advice can help you get started, while learning about your particular plant allows you to make better decisions over time.
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