Social Norms

Visit mostofus.missouri.edu for more information!

What is the purpose of social norming?

Social norm theory states that individuals are highly influenced by what they think their peers are doing or thinking. The theory also states that students typically overestimate problem behavior, such as high risk alcohol consumption, and underestimate healthy behavior. The theory predicts these misperceptions increase problem behaviors and decrease healthy behaviors, because students are acting in accordance to what they think is "normal". Social norm theory predicts that correcting misperceptions of the norm is likely to result in decreased problem behavior and an increase in healthy behavior.

Studies on our campus have shown that our students tend to overestimate how much and how often other students drink. One recent example is that students feel that 60% of their peers drink three times a week or more. The reality is that only 33% drink that often. That misperception is nearly twice that of the real statistic. The Wellness Resource Center is trying to share the accurate picture of student alcohol consumption at Mizzou, with the expectation that doing so (combined with our comprehensive approach) will result in a larger number of students drinking moderately or abstaining, and a smaller number of students making high risk choices. This type of strategy, when implemented appropriately, has been successful at a number of colleges and universities across the country.

For a more detailed discussion of social norms theory and the research associated with it, visit the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Issues website at: www.edc.org/hec/socialnorms/theory.html, The Report on Social Norms at www.socialnormslink.com, or the National Social Norms Resource Center at www.socialnorm.org .

Where do the numbers for the campaign come from?

Each spring, for the last 15 years, the Wellness Resource Center has administered the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey to an average of 1200 students. A random sample of classes is selected and the surveys are administered in the classrooms with faculty permission. The most recent administration of the survey was in February 2005.

Won't the message make students who abstain feel pressured to start drinking?

Research on this issue has consistently shown that this does not happen. Rather, because those who abstain from alcohol fall within the 0-4 range, they report feeling less pressure to drink more.

I don't believe the message because these numbers seem too low. How can they be true, with all the parties and problems we hear about?

It's not surprising that many individuals are skeptical about this message. Virtually everyone has misperceptions about students alcohol use. The problems associated with alcohol are what are reported in the news. And when students come back from parties they talk about the fights, the vomit, the sex, the drunkenness, not about all the people who are drinking responsibly. Since we notice what is exciting or different or tragic, that's what we focus on, and that's what we talk about. When individuals in conversation glamorize and generalize high risk drinking (i.e. "everyone was so wasted at that party last night") then high risk drinking seems to be the norm. However, when people start to pay attention to what is really happening at parties, they begin to notice that it usually is only a small number of individuals who are drinking the largest amount of alcohol and causing the most problems.

What about the Harvard School of Public Health study?

The purpose of Dr. Wechsler’s study was to “determine whether schools that use social norms marketing campaigns experience reductions in students' heavy-drinking behaviors and to compare any observed changes with the experience of schools that do not use such programs." However, the method used to identify schools that implement social norming was methodologically unsound. The only criterion used to identify such programs was the response to one item on a survey sent to school administrators in 2001. This sole relevant question "asked whether or not each school had 'ever conducted a "social-norms" campaign to decrease alcohol use and related problems on campus'; and if it had, the time period during which the program was conducted." There are some obvious criticisms that can be made of a study that is based on such an ill-defined response category. First, and most significantly, no other survey data was collected about the extent or quality of these reported programs, and the authors themselves admit that they made no additional efforts, such as campus visits, "to determine the content, scope and duration" of them.

Social norming is not the silver bullet. It should be used as the Wellness Resource Center does as a part of a comprehensive approach to addressing alcohol abuse.

What about our new campaign?

The Most of Us campaign will focus on three areas. All of these statistics were compiled from the free time email survey that the WRC conducted last February to a randomly selected sample of 683 MU students.

Most of Us Make Healthy Choices
92.5% have eaten before and/or during drinking
70% have chosen not to get drunk at a party

Most have alternated non-alcoholic drinks with alcohol
85% are not regular smokers

Most of Us Make Smart Choices
87% of MU students chose not to drink if they had academic obligations the next day
73% have not done poorly on a test/project due to drinking
69% of MU students do not go to bars or parties Sunday through Thursday

Most of Us Make Safe Choices
94% would be a designated driver to help a friend
71% become less interested in a person if they get drunk
93% have chosen not to drive drunk

MU students are TEN TIMES more likely to enjoy hanging out
with friends without alcohol than go to a bar or party with alcohol.
AND
Most of Us feel that…
the people (93%),
the music (82%),
the atmosphere (82%)
and the dancing (59%)
made a party more fun than the alcohol (50%)!!

What can faculty and staff do?

There is a Native American saying that states…”It takes a village to raise a child”. This saying is quite appropriate with the issue of alcohol and other drug abuse among college students. All of us need to work together to create an environment that supports and encourages students to make good decisions about alcohol. Keeping students accountable, not making jokes about alcohol or condoning use is imperative. In addition it is important to help students who may be at risk for alcohol problems to know what resources are available. On the WRC web site there is a document entitled; “Guide to Helping Emotionally Distressed Students”.