On the Effectiveness of Social Norms Intervention in College Drinking: The Roles of Identity Verification and Peer Influence

Abstract

Simulations suggest that reducing misperception can reduce HED. When agents adhere strongly to identity verification and when misperceptions affect identity appraisals, social norms campaigns can bring about large reductions. PI, self-monitoring, and socializing with like-drinking peers appear to moderate the effect.

Perceived academic benefit is associated with nonmedical prescription stimulant use among college students

“…Certainly, if a contributor to initiation of use is the belief that “everyone” does this during midterms and finals a social norms campaign highlighting that the majority of students on campus refrain from engaging in NPS could be implemented as well to address those descriptive norms. Although recent literature suggests that social norms campaigns have varying degrees of success in reducing excessive drinking during college, several studies support their impact (DeJong et al, 2006; Fitzpatrick, Martinez, Polidan, & Angelis, 2016; Scribner et al, 2011). Of course, such efforts require appropriate “dosing” (i.e., proper visibility for a media campaign), and could be evaluated for impact at potential high-risk times (e.g., prior to exams or project deadlines at the end of the quarter or semester).…”

Advancing Analytic Approaches to Address Key Questions in Mechanisms of Behavior Change Research

“…Using an approach based on differential equations and control systems, Timms et al (2014) modeled how positive feedback between smoking and craving could cause temporary increases in nicotine craving upon quitting smoking, followed by gradual but substantial decreases in craving after that. Others have used computer simulations (e.g., in the context of social networks) to model feedback loops created from friends mutually influencing each other's drinking behaviors, which can lead to the emergence of heavy-drinking friendship clusters that may reinforce heavy drinking and inhibit the effectiveness of alcohol interventions (Fitzpatrick et al, 2016;.…”

Moving alcohol prevention research forward—Part I: introducing a complex systems paradigm

“…Internationally, the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model (SAPM) delves into the consequences of alcohol consumption in Great Britain . Additionally, agent‐based modeling has been employed to examine how environmental and social dynamics influence general population and college drinking , as well as spatial dynamics and social processes of college drinking events . There are even fewer instances of system dynamics modeling approaches .…”