The New Jersey Higher Education Consortium: Social Norms Project

Decreasing Binge Drinking in New Jersey Colleges and Universities by Correcting Student Misperceptions of College Drinking Norms
(For initial project results, see the case study cited below.)

Project Description

Background:
The New Jersey Higher Education Consortium was founded in 1987 in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Health to prevent campus alcohol and other drug abuse. From an original group of sixteen colleges, over forty colleges and universities have participated in the New Jersey Consortium. Since 1993, The New Jersey Department of Health has supported a program of subgrants administered through the New Jersey Consortium and its host institution, Rowan University.

Social Norm Intervention:
In 1998, at the request of the New Jersey Consortium, the Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms (CORE) was administered to 5011 students at thirteen New Jersey two-year and four-year colleges and universities. Six two-year and seven four-year institutions participated. Ten of the institutions participating are publicly funded. In the two-year colleges, surveys were distributed to students in introductory classes I the humanities, social and natural sciences. In the four-year institutions the surveys were distributed to students in a range of both introductory and upper-level courses in the humanities, social and natural sciences. Selection of courses was counterbalanced for the time of day courses were offered. Administration procedures were standardized across colleges.

Project Funding Sources

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services

Project Objective

To decrease heavy episodic alcohol consumption in New Jersey colleges and universities by correcting student misperceptions of college drinking norms.

Baseline Data

Consumption (Frequency):
Forty percent of the students reported heavy episodic alcohol consumption in the two weeks prior to completing the survey. On average, students reported consuming 3.7 alcoholic drinks at parties and bars. However, at their last social drinking occasion, students reported consuming an average of 4.5 drinks. Students reported drinking more at off-campus parties and fraternity social functions than at bars, athletic events or sorority social functions.

Consumption (Amount):
Average self-reported consumption rates for male students when drinking at parties and bars was 4.9 drinks, while females on average reported consuming 2.9 drinks. Fraternity members reported drinking 5.9 drinks on average while sorority members reported an average rate of 3.6 drinks. Male students reported drinking on average twice per month; female students reported drinking on average once per month.

Perceived vs Actual Norms:
While students had a median frequency of alcohol use of twice per month, they perceived the typical frequency of alcohol consumption by their friends and students in general on their campus as once per week. Thus, they think students drink twice as often as those students self-report doing.

Sample Normative Messages

There are various intervention sites in the consortium project, many with independently produced media. Sample normative messages include:

  • Most [Name of institution] students drink 4 or fewer drinks when "partying."
  • Most [Name of institution] students believe that getting drunk is never acceptable if it interferes with academics or other responsibilities.
  • Binge drinking is not the "norm" at [Name of institution]. The typical number of drinks a person has at a party is 3.68.

Marketing Methods Employed

Media campaign elements used to inform students of the actual drinking norms included posters, flyers, buttons, newspaper announcements and radio spots. Contests were held in which prizes were given to those who had campaign posters hung in their residence hall rooms. Letters to the editors of campus newspapers about the percentage of students making healthy choices were written. Community screen savers became a bulletin board for publicizing the actual drinking rates on campuses.

Evaluation

The outcome measure of success will be a 10% reduction in the rate of heavy episodic alcohol consumption as measured by the CORE survey.

A comprehensive report documenting the project outcomes at each institution in comparison to their control institution will be available at the completion of the first three years of the project in the fall semester of 2001.

Project Results: A Case Study

Background:
This case study describes the implementation of a social norms project in a New Jersey campus context. The New Jersey institution reported here as a case study is a multi-purpose, coeducational, non-sectarian, state-supported, four-year institution of higher education. The institution serves approximately 6000 full-time and 3000 part-time students, and has about 500 (FTE) faculty members.

Baseline Data:
The CORE Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms was administered in introductory general education courses and upper-level advanced classes in the spring semester of 1998, following the standardized procedures established by the New Jersey Consortium.

The reported use of alcohol by students was once per week, but the perceived norm for "students in general" was 3 times per week. Male students were perceived as using alcohol 3 times per week while their self-reported rate was once per week. Female students were perceived as drinking once per week while their self-reported rate was twice per month. . While almost 48% of students reported heavy episodic alcohol consumption in the two weeks prior to completion of the survey, they perceived that 63% of their fellow students do so during the same time span.

Evaluation:
Two months after the social norms media campaign was implemented 20% of the students surveyed reported hearing or seeing normative messages 10 times or more. Given that level of saturation, a 13 percentage point decrease in the rate of misperceptions of drinking norms was reported. Following three semesters of the media campaign, the self-reported rate of heavy episodic alcohol consumption declined 6.62 percentage points. It is important to note that despite a vigorous traditional alcohol abuse prevention program in place for a number of years prior to the social norms intervention, this institution had never before seen a decrease in heavy episodic alcohol consumption.

Project Directors

Linda Jeffrey, Ph.D.
Center for Addiction Studies
Rowan University
Tel 856.769.0960
Email [email protected]

Pamela Negro, M.S.W.
Social Norms Project Coordinator
Center for Addiction Studies
Rowan University
Tel 856.256.4527
Email: [email protected]

Further Information

The New Jersey Higher Education Consortium on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention and Education
Contents of this site include: History of the New Jersey Higher Education AOD Consortia; Assessment of Needs; Project Goals and Objectives; and a description of the Curriculum Infusion Project.

Note: The description provided above is based on the document "The New Jersey Higher Education Consortium Social Norms Project: Decreasing Binge Drinking in New Jersey Colleges and Universities by Correcting Student Misperceptions of College Drinking Norms," by Linda R. Jeffrey et.al.

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