Promoting improvements in public health: Using a Social Norms Approach to reduce use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs

Bewick, Bridgette M.; Bell, Darren; Crosby, Scott; Edlin, Becky; Keenan, S.; Marshall, Khiya J.; Savva, G.

doi:10.3109/09687637.2013.766150

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Social norms campaigns typically address what is referred to as the false consensus effect or the false notion that others behave in a similar way when they actually do not (Berkowitz, 2004). Built on a platform emphasizing public health (Bewick et al, 2013, McAlaney, Bewick, & Hughes, 2010, successful alcohol and tobacco campaigns have presented correct norms for a behavior. Researchers have noted decreased rates of use following implementation of a social norms program (Haines, Barker, & Rice, 2003;Foss, Deikkman, Bartley, & Goodman, 2004,).…”

Section: Social Normsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Misperceptions of Peer Pill-Popping: The Prevalence, Correlates, and Effects of Inaccurate Assumptions About Peer Pharmaceutical Misuse

Sanders

Stogner

Seibert

et al. 2014

Substance Use & Misuse

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Peer behaviors may significantly influence personal behavior yet individuals may not accurately estimate their peers' actions. Overestimations of peer substance use may encourage initiation or exacerbate extant problems. The present study examines misperceptions of peer pharmaceutical misuse and explores the relationship between reported misuse and perceptions of misuse for four categories of prescription drugs. Data collected from 2,349 college students in the Southeastern United States were analyzed and results indicated that overall perceptions of misuse were significantly higher than actual misuse. These findings suggest that intervention efforts may benefit from addressing misperceptions of pharmaceutical misuse. Study limitations and implications are addressed.

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Section: Social Normsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Misperceptions of Peer Pill-Popping: The Prevalence, Correlates, and Effects of Inaccurate Assumptions About Peer Pharmaceutical Misuse

Sanders

Stogner

Seibert

et al. 2014

Substance Use & Misuse

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“…Referent groups featured in SNA interventions vary but typically include peers who share some group membership (e.g., university students studying at the same campus; Neighbors et al, 2010b ; LaBrie et al, 2013 ), including individuals living in the same community, working at the same employer, or using a shared public location (e.g., Perkins H.W. et al, 2010 ; Bewick et al, 2013 ; Perkins et al, 2018 ). SNA feedback should be presented as coming from the wider social group associated with the target population, and not be perceived to come from an authority figure, to avoid changes in behavior and attitude due to obedience pressure or fear.…”

Section: The Social Norms Approach As a Behavior Change Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A further limitation of mass media campaigns is the potential that social normative feedback is time-limited in its appeal to target groups; whether participants continue to attend to SNA media presented over time, once such messaging is no longer novel, is unclear. However, some innovative approaches to engaging target groups in SNA media campaigns have been reported (for examples see Bewick et al, 2013 ).…”

Section: The Social Norms Approach As a Behavior Change Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Critical Appraisal of the Social Norms Approach as an Interventional Strategy for Health-Related Behavior and Attitude Change

2018

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The Social Norms Approach is a widely used intervention strategy for promoting positive health-related behaviors. The Approach operates on the premise that individuals misperceive their peers’ behaviors and attitudes, with evidence of under- and over-estimations of behaviors and peer approval for a range of positive and negative behaviors respectively. The greater these misperceptions, the more likely an individual is to engage in negative behaviors such as consuming heavier amounts of alcohol and other substances and reduce positive behaviors such as eating healthily and using sun protection. However, there are many complexities associated with the use of social norms feedback in interventions and empirical studies. Many social norms interventions do not attempt to change misperceptions of social norms or measure changes in normative perceptions pre- and post-intervention. This has led to a conflation of generic social norms interventions with those that are explicitly testing the Approach’s assumptions that it is misperceptions of peer norms which drive behavior. The aim of the present review was to provide a critical appraisal of the use of the Social Norms Approach as an intervention strategy for health-related behaviors, identify the current issues with its evidence base, highlight key opportunities and challenges facing the approach, and make recommendations for good practice when using the approach. There are three core challenges and areas for improved practice when using the Social Norms Approach. Firstly, improvements in the methodological rigor and clarity of reporting of ‘social norms’ research, ensuring that studies are testing the approach’s assumption of the role of misperceptions on behaviors are differentiated from studies investigating other forms of ‘social norms.’ Secondly, the need for a more explicit, unified and testable theoretical model outlining the development of normative misperceptions which can be translated into interventional studies. Finally, a need for a more robust evaluation of social norms interventions in addition to randomized controlled trials, such as the inclusion of process evaluations, qualitative studies of participant experiences of social norms feedback, and alternative study designs better suited for real-world public health settings. Such improvements are required to ensure that the Social Norms Approach is adequately tested and evaluated.

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“…These findings have implications for treating substance use disorders among jailed women. Drawing on studies with college students and with public health programs using the SNA (Bewick et al, 2013), it is possible that correcting misperceptions about US women’s substance use norms may reduce jailed women’s substance use. Studies show that students misperceive descriptive norms for alcohol use at their college or university in that they estimate that students drink more frequently, drink more per drinking occasion, and drink more total drinks per week, relative to observed averages on these outcomes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We do not want to underestimate the challenges of delivering SNA interventions to jailed or recently jailed women with AUD, however (Bewick et al, 2013). One challenge, overcome successfully in the present study, would be working with multiple collaborators, including stakeholders in the correctional system, who may have additional intervention goals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Substance Use Norms Among Jailed Women with Alcohol Use Disorders

Timko

Schonbrun

Anderson

et al. 2020

Alcoholism Clin & Exp Res

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Background Social norms regarding substance use predict substance use behaviors. In a sample of jailed women with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), we compared (i) jailed women’s perceptions of the US women population’s rates of substance use, with US women’s actual rates of substance use; (ii) jailed women’s perceived rates of substance use by US women, with their perceptions of use by their own friends; and (iii) US women’s actual rates of substance use, with observed sample substance use rates. Methods Participants were 205 jailed women who met criteria for an AUD. We used the 1‐sample or dependent‐samples t‐test to make the comparisons. Results Participants overestimated US women’s rates of substance use and incarceration rates. They perceived their friends’ substance use as less common than US women’s. The jailed women reported higher rates of their own substance use than actual rates by US women. In addition, jailed women self‐reported less cannabis use, but more alcohol and cocaine use and cigarette smoking, than they perceived their friends to have used. The more women perceived their friends as drinking, the less they had a goal to drink less or abstain from drinking postincarceration; in contrast, perceptions of US women’s drinking were not related to personal goals for drinking. Conclusions Interventions that correct misperceptions about substance use norms may have utility for jailed women with AUDs.

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Promoting improvements in public health: Using a Social Norms Approach to reduce use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs

Cited by 8 publications

References 9 publications

Misperceptions of Peer Pill-Popping: The Prevalence, Correlates, and Effects of Inaccurate Assumptions About Peer Pharmaceutical Misuse

Misperceptions of Peer Pill-Popping: The Prevalence, Correlates, and Effects of Inaccurate Assumptions About Peer Pharmaceutical Misuse

A Critical Appraisal of the Social Norms Approach as an Interventional Strategy for Health-Related Behavior and Attitude Change

Perceived Substance Use Norms Among Jailed Women with Alcohol Use Disorders

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