Independence

• Independence occurs when an individual is aware of how the group expects them to behave or respond, but their decision-making is not swayed in any way by the expectations of the group.

  Resisting influence
• Independence does not mean that the individual fails to recognise or consider the views of the group. Instead, they reject the views or norms of the group in order to arrive at their own objective decision.
• At times, group pressure makes it difficult to act independently. By acting independently, you may alienate yourself or share opinions that may be unpopular with the group. However, when people act independently within a group setting, there is consistency in what they believe to be correct privately and the stance that they take privately; a a consequence, they are true to themselves.