Classic Research Studies

Classic References for Social Norms Interventions

A few “must have” peer-reviewed articles related to social norms interventions, primarily with college students to reduce risky drinking. 

The one that started it all:

• Perkins, H. W., & Berkowitz, A. D. (1986). Perceiving the community norms of alcohol use among students: Some research implications for campus alcohol education programming. International Journal of the Addictions, 21, 961–976.

Reviews and conceptual papers:

• Borsari, B. & Carey, K. B. (2003) Descriptive and Injunctive Norms in College Drinking: A Meta-Analytic Integration. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 64, 331-341.

• Haines, M., & Spear, S. F. (1996). Changing the perception of the norm: A strategy to decrease binge drinking among college students. Journal of American College Health, 45, 134–140.
• Keller, A. & Bauerle, J. (2009). Using a logic model to relate the strategic to the tactical in program planning and evaluation: An illustration based on social norms interventions. American Journal of Health Promotion, 24(2), 89-92.
• Lewis, M. A., & Neighbors, C. (2006). Social norms approaches using descriptive drinking norms education: A review of the research on personalized normative feedback. Journal of American College Health, 54, 213–218.
• Moreira MT, Smith LA, Foxcroft D. Social norms interventions to reduce alcohol misuse in University or College students. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD006748. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006748.pub2
• Neighbors, C., LaBrie, J. W., Hummer, J. F., Lewis, M. A., Lee, C. M., Desai, S., …Larimer, M. E. (2010). Group identification as a moderator of the relationship between social norms and alcohol consumption. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 24, 522–528.
• Perkins, H. W. (2002). Social norms and the prevention of alcohol misuse in collegiate contexts. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 14, 164-172.

Evaluation of specific interventions:

• DeJong, W., Schneider, S. K., Towvim, L. G., Murphy, M. J., Doerr, E. E., Simonsen, N. R., …Scribner, R. A. (2006). A multisite randomized trial of social norms marketing campaigns to reduce college student drinking. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 67, 868–879.
• DeJong, W., Schneider, S. K., Towvim, L. G., Murphy, M. J., Doerr, E. E., Simonsen, N. R., …Scribner, R. A. (2009). A multisite randomized trial of social norms marketing campaigns to reduce college student drinking: A replication failure. Substance Abuse, 30, 127–140.
• Perkins, H. W., Haines, M. P., & Rice, R. (2005). Misperceiving the college drinking norm and related problems: A nationwide study of exposure to prevention information, perceived norms and student alcohol misuse. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 66, 470–478.

Social Marketing:

• Andreasen, A. R. (1994). Social marketing: Its definition and domain. Journal of public policy & marketing, 108-114.