2. Social Norms Theory Binge drinking Haines Social norms programming Alcohol reduction on college campuses
3. Procedures Data collection 1997-1999 Core Alcohol and Drug Survey 1989 Data collection 2000 and 2002 American College Health Association (ACHA) 1998.
4. Campaign Development Bowling Green State University “I Don’t Drink as Much as You Think.” $78,000 grant “Rise above High-Risk Drinking”
5. Results 4.3% didn’t drink in 30 days 2% increase who chose not to drink 4% decrease in those who already drink 2.8% decrease in affecting academics
7. Resources Hansen-Horn, T. L., & Neff, B. (2008). Public Relations: From Theory to Practice (pp. 195-204). Pearson Education. (2009). Alcohol Know Your Limits - Binge Drinking Girl [Online video]. Retrieved March 11, 2010. (2009). Alcohol Know Your Limits - Binge Drinking Boy [Online video]. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
Editor's Notes
Social norms theory is a science-based method assuming 3 things:1. Misperceptions of norms heighten negative behavior.2. Accurate perceptions increase healthy behavior.3. And intervention strategies are incorporated to drive away these misperceptions and to provide accurate information about a particular behavior.Social norms theory has been most often tested in the health-communication field, mainly in the area of high-risk drinking. Defined by the Harvard School for Public Health, high risk, or binge drinking is consuming 5 or more drinks in a row for men, and 4 or more in a row for women. Haines, a prevention specialist was one of the 1st to apply social norms theory to an intervention that resulted in reductions in misperceptions that were associated with increases in safe, or moderate, drinking. Since then, more than 30 different studies have been published in the area of social norms programming and alcohol reduction on college campuses.
This case study is one of the author’s ongoing research projects in the area of high-risk drinking and social norms programming. Data collection took place from 1997-1999 using the Core Alcohol and Drug survey that was developed in 1989.Data collected in 2000 and 2002 used the American College Health Association (ACHA) that was developed in 1998.Both surveys include questions ranging from actual drug and alcohol patterns and behaviors, to perceptions of others’ drinking and drug-use patterns and behaviors.
Social norms campaigns began in 1997 at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), a rural Midwestern university with approx 18,000 undergraduate and graduate students.Using the results of the 1997 Core survey, a social norms campaign was developed using the theme, “I Don’t Drink as Much as You Think.”The campaign focused on positive messages that dispelled alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors of students.Comparing the 1997 and 1999 results, it showed a 2.3% decrease in the overall binge drinking rate.In 1999, the US Department of Education named BGSU as one of the seven leading alcohol-reduction model programs in the nation and awarded a $78,000 grant to continue social norms research.This allowed for an even more comprehensive social norms PR campaign at this university. Data was analyzed using the 1999 Core survey, and the development of a PR campaign using social norms began in 2000.Feedback from focus group discussions led to the development of the “Rise above- High Risk Drinking” campaign.
Results from the 2002 ACHA study showed an additional 2.3% decrease in the high-risk drinking rate at this university.Some other changes include:-4.3% more students reported not having had any alcohol in the previous 30 days-A 2% increase in those who chose not to drink the last time they socialized-And those who did drink, had a 4% decrease in the number who consumed 5 or more drinks at a time.-And lastly, a 2.8% decrease in students letting alcohol affect their academic performance.
One of the most important components of a PR campaign is evaluation; both formative and summative.Formative is used to define trends, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions within a targeted population.Once surveyed, summative is used to look at the patterns across the target population and also within specific target audiences.Identification of true norms becomes the basis for a social norms campaignAs the results of this study indicate, social norms campaigns can successfully reduce high-risk drinking rates and other unhealthy behaviors associated with drinking.
