One of the underlying principles of social norms marketing is expressed by PIE: messages should be Positive, Inclusive and Empowering. A study of social marketing to "...minimise the harm from alcohol consumption" suggests that many social marketing approaches may be patronizing rather than empowering. What messages does social marketing advertising send? A content analysis of advertisements aiming to [...]
This systematic review, published in Alcohol and Alcoholism, suggests that the internet is more effective than print-based interventions but less effective than face-to-face interventions for binge drinking among college students. The title links to the full article. The Use of the Internet for Prevention of Binge Drinking Among the College Population: A Systematic Review of [...]
Another presentation at the 2015 annual APHA meeting in Chicago in early November: Background: Marijuana use has increased among college students over the past decade. Of particular concern are students’ perceived social norms that encourage its use. The study examines trends in individual characteristics, perceived peer behavior, perceived risk, campus environment, and campus policies related [...]
This research is currently only available on-line; we will update the citation when it is published in the print journal. Abstract: Objective: To examine characteristics of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AmED) use in a sample of college students. Participants: College students (N =614, 53% female) in their second year of college participated during the fall of [...]
From the social norms research group at the University of Houston, a publication demonstrating the efficacy of a brief online intervention with at-risk gambling college students. Abstract: Objective: Social influences on gambling among adolescents and adults have been well documented and may be particularly evident among college students, who have higher rates of problem and [...]
From a study published online in the journal, Addiction Research and Theory: Abstract: Problems associated with alcohol use are well-documented among traditional 4-year college students, but less is known about community college students' alcohol use. The few published articles that have investigated alcohol consumption among community college students suggest that risky alcohol consumption is a [...]
Our colleagues at "The Well" at Virginia Commonwealth University recently found an interesting way to capture students' opinion of the Stall Seat Journals (SSJ) that are a core part of the social norms intervention program there: Linda Hancock, PhD, CFNP, RN, Director of the Well, describes what she did: "I just gave out 3x5 cards [...]
This interesting small experiment randomly assigned 101 U.K. college students with excessive drinking to one of four conditions. In each condition, the students received one message a week for four weeks. The messages varied by condition: official alcohol consumption guidelines how their consumption compared to official guidelines how their consumption compared to the sample mean where their [...]
We mentioned our Google Scholar alert for "normative misperceptions" in a previous post about a paper that was interesting but not directly relevant. Here is a prime example of the opposite result from our alert: a paper that is interesting and directly relevant. From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of [...]
Bystander Training for Drinking Situations among College Students How can bystanders become rescuers? Bystander training programs help give individuals skills and confidence to intervene in risky situations like sexual violence, bullying, drug overdoses, and drunk driving. However, people intervening often face dilemmas in balancing concern for the safety of others with maintaining their own social [...]
