Abstract
Social-norms approaches to alcohol prevention are based on consistent findings that most students overestimate the prevalence of drinking among their peers. Most interventions have been developed for heavy-drinking students, and the applicability of social-norms approaches among abstaining or light-drinking students has yet to be evaluated. The present research aimed to evaluate the impact of two types of online social-norms interventions developed for abstaining or light-drinking students. Identification with other students was evaluated as a moderator. Participants included 423 freshmen and sophomore college students who reported never or rarely drinking at screening. Students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) personalized-norms feedback, (b) social-norms marketing ads, or (c) attention control. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Results provided some support for both interventions but were stronger for social-norms marketing ads, particularly among participants who identified more closely with other students.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 651-669 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Group Processes and Intergroup Relations |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 2011 |
Keywords
- abstainers
- alcohol
- feedback
- social identity
- social norms