When you were in your formative years, you have a limited capacity of

acknowledging what is happening around you. You are not aware of how other
people treated or thought about you. The only important thing to you is that you
enjoy playing, spending time with your family, or contentment when your need is
met. There were also times when adults always asked you on what you want to be
when you grow up.

However, as you mature, personal and social relationships broaden your

perception about yourself and others. This perception helps in the psychological
process of knowing, interpreting, and learning information that influence your
behavior. The way you perceive and how others perceived you are driven by beliefs,
values, and norms learned and shared among family members, friends, neighbors,
and other individuals in the society. When the people you interact with around you
start to affect your behavior, the process is already known as social influence.

Social influence is characterized by a change in your behavior caused by the

people that empower you to adjust to a particular situation. Whether someone
agrees or disagrees with you, it influences your behavior that may help or hinder
your social roles. Social influence also happens when you change your behavior to
adapt to social demands.

Social influence is categorized by conformity, compliance,

and obedience.

Conformity - is changing your behavior to be the same with the others in the
group.

For example, when you visit your friend�s home. To show respect, you both
ask for the grandmother�s blessing because you were told that it is courtesy. This
situation engages you to deal with it by adapting to the shared norms and values to
gain social approval rather than rejection. You were able to conform to the group
standards.

Compliance - is granting a request or demand asked by another individual in

exchange of either a reward or a punishment.

For example, during examination day,

you are required to take the test to finish completing the grading period and
failure
to do so may result in a failing grade.

Obedience - means changing your behavior to follow the demand given by an

authority or an adult you have high regards with.

For instance, as a maturing

adolescent, you want to contribute to development through inviting other friends to
exercise proper waste disposal. Whether you do it purposely as you try to give the
leader your respect or purposefully as it empowers you to participate actively as a
follower. Whatever your reason is for obeying; it leads to social facilitation.
This
happens when you are given a sense of responsibility that allows you to perform
better if you are with other individuals.

Given these three situations, you can choose either to conform, to comply, or
to obey depending on how well you perceive yourself and how others see you. These
are all important in personal development. Comparing your self-perception with
others� perception of you has contributed to your thoughts that influence your
behavior.

One example of sowing is when you decided to cooperate with your group
mates with whom you were able to share your ideas to complete the task; while
reaping is when your group was able to submit and present an innovative output so
your teacher and classmates can give their feedback to compliment it. At the start,
you benefit from those feedback you received which eventually lead you to assert
influence.
Significantly, you are becoming responsible for your thoughts and behaviors

as you adapt to the needs of the situations in the same manner that you have self-
control that empowers you to regulate your behavior to make positive choices in
life.

The change in your behavior therefore enhances your role in becoming a

follower and a leader. Both these roles involve responsibility to serve others that
can
be achieved through cooperation. Hence, a change in mindset is being mindful and`
sensitive to your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.