SOCIAL NORMS A WELLNESS MODEL FOR HEALTH PROMOTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

SOCIAL NORMS A WELLNESS MODEL FOR HEALTH PROMOTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Michael P. Haines, M.S.

This is a reprint of an article published in Wellness Management, the newsletter of the National Wellness Association vol. 14, no. 4, Winter, 1998 pp.1&8.

In 1990, after failing to change the drinking behavior and reduce alcohol-related injuries using traditional methods, the staff at Health Enhancement Services at Northern Illinois University (NIU) embarked on an experiment that proved successful in the first year and has continued for nine consecutive years. At NIU, a campus-wide media campaign exposed students to multiple messages from many sources simply stating this fact: "Most NIU students drink zero to five drinks when they are at a party." At the end of the first year, there was an 18 percent reduction in "binge" drinking.

The NIU model is called a social norms strategy of behavior change. It highlights the moderate and protective (wellness) drinking behaviors already practiced by most students in order to increase those very same behaviors.

It was the first large-scale implementation of a behavior change theory proposed by H. Wesley Perkins and Alan Berkowitz. These social scientists discovered that college students regularly and grossly overestimated the drunken behavior of their counterparts. They called this overestimation a "false norm." Research on human behavior suggests social norms, whether accurately or misperceived, are potent shapers of human behavior. They hypothesized that this false norm created imaginary peer pressure to drink more frequently and more quantity than would actually occur. It followed that if a method could be devised to effectively correct the false norm, then the frequency and quantity of drinking would be reduced. The NIU experiment appears to prove the hypothesis.

The NIU model is truly a wellness approach to health promotion. Some schools are using the strategies which focus on drinking bans, punishment, scare tactics, and "health terrorism." They exaggerate the harm, contribute to the perception that binge drinking is normal, and alienate and disempower their own students. This effort measures the alcohol wellness of the population and then uses mass media to amplify or grow the protective/low risk behaviors that the data show are already quite common among college students. The model is effective, and students are no longer the "enemy." Instead, the typical student is accurately portrayed as a moderate drinker who cares about his or her fellow students and makes special efforts to protect him- or herself and others from alcohol-related harm. Students are characterized as models of behavior instead of deviants and criminals.

Assessing Norms

Social norms can be assessed in any number of ways. The staff at NIU uses both quantitative measures (a pencil and paper survey of 1,000 students) and qualitative measures (focus groups and interviews). Students have been asked the same question every April since 1988, "When you 'party,' how many drinks do you have on average? (One drink is defined as a beer, a glass of wine, a shot of liquor, or a mixed drink.) State your best estimate." The question which follows immediately is "How many drinks, on average, do you think most students have when they party?" This type of question provides data to establish true and false norms.

At NIU, the true norm was 55 percent of the students drank zero to five drinks per party. They thought that 69 percent drank five or more drinks at a party (the false norm). This same measure was used to demonstrate the changes that occurred after the media intervention at NIU. (The false norm was defeated. The estimated number of students who drink five or more drinks per party is currently 32.9 percent and true norm was fortified. It increased to 75 percent drink zero to five drinks per party.)

Communicating Actual Norms

Social norms, both true and false, are established by many influences. Public conversation is one strong force in shaping a group's norms, according to H. Wesley Perkins, a professor of sociology and social norms expert at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. Dr. Perkins describes public conversation as the everyday talk, the "buzz," the conversation that tries to make sense out of phenomenon. He also notes the very powerful impact of media including entertainment (TV, movies, talk shows), news, and advertisement.

Other sources that influence social norms include families, laws, religious traditions, and educational institutions. Someone new to a community is most susceptible to false norms. College students are unsure of the prevailing norms in their new environment. These students are very easily influenced by media and public conversation.

Countering False Norms and Imaginary Peer Pressure

Use mass marketing methods to inform the target audience in a credible manner about the norms of the student. The NIU model uses display and classified advertisements, a weekly column, as well as regular press releases and stories in the campus paper. Additionally, posters and leaflets are displayed in buses, Greek houses, classroom buildings, and restroom stalls (Installments) with the same messages carried by the newspaper. Monetary rewards and incentives are provided to students who have posters up in their rooms ($5), who can correctly describe the true norms when asked "on-the-mall" ($1), and who can correctly pass a random telephone "pop quiz" ($25).

Do not be discouraged if some students indicate that they don't believe the message. Remember the false norm is prevalent. One only needs to change the perception of some students to begin the process of changing student behavior.

The social norms model suggests a more effective way of using policy and legislation to achieve mass behavior change. If you know the true norms of your students, you can implement policies which are consistent with the mission of the institution and at the same time are supported by the students.

Focus groups of typical college students report strong student support for policies that protect students from alcohol-related assaults, hall damage, driving under the influence, and injuries. These same groups show strong rejection of drinking bans. If administrators "crack down" on these negative consequences without prohibiting alcohol use, we would have a policy consistent with social norms. This is called "community policing" in law enforcement circles. It might come to be called alcohol wellness in higher education.