The examination of social factors related to the tendency of high school students to the reference group in Ardabil

The subject of the present study is the examination of social factors related to the tendency of high school students to the reference group in Ardabil. Statistical population of this study is 13584 students and to determine sample volume, Cochran formula was used and 400students were selected. The research method is survey and data gathered by a questionnaire which was validated by some masters and senior expert students (as criterion validity). Also the reliability of the questionnaire estimated using cronbach alpha. The obtained findings show that there is a meaningful difference between tendency to the reference group and variables such as religiosity, academic achievement, social status and gender of students. Also, there isn’t a meaningful relationship between tendency to the reference group and variables such as social participation, management practices, and the use of mass media.  The results of regression analysis indicate that, the variables of academic achievement, social status, gender of students and religiosity stay in the above-mentioned model. Elite group with 32/3percent and athletes with27/8 percent, were selected the first and second reference group respectively, and economic group with 3/32 percent was chosen as the last reference group.