Toward a Theory of Social Influence in the New Normal

ABSTRACT Acknowledging that social influence is complex and multifaceted, this article introduces a new theory to account for the complex relationships among the manifestations of social influence. The new theory, which is called the theory of social influence, theorizes the relationships between social connectedness, social distancing, social norms, social identification, social interaction, social inclusion, and social isolation. The theory is also accompanied by the latest research in the journal related to social influence on aging.