Normative Misperceptions Research Articles

An Evaluation of e-CHECKUP TO GO in Canada: The Mediating Role of Changes in Social Norm Misperceptions

ABSTRACTBackground: Alcohol use and related problems are key concerns among colleges, and web-based interventions to mitigate these issues are increasingly popular across campuses. A variety of programs are commercially available and have demonstrated efficacy in reducing alcohol use and consequences; however, little is known about how these programs reduce alcohol outcomes. Objectives: The e-CHECKUP TO GO program (e-CHUG) is the briefest electronic intervention available and over 600 institutions are using it internationally. The present study evaluates the impact of the e-CHUG program on drinking outcomes and examines changes in perceived norms as a potential mediator of intervention efficacy in a sample of first-year Canadian university residence students. This is the first Canadian evaluation of e-CHUG. Methods: First year Canadian university students (N = 245) living in residence in August 2014 participated in a randomized control trial to evaluate the efficacy of e-CHUG program compared to an assessment-only control condition. Follow-up assessments were completed at 3-months and 5-months. Norm misperceptions and drinking outcomes were measured. Results: At 3-month and 5-month follow-up assessments program participants had lower norm misperceptions about peers drinking compared to control participants. Changes in norm misperceptions at 3-months mediated the effect of the program on drinking outcomes at 5-months. There were no sex differences in the associations. Conclusions/Importance: Findings suggest that e-CHECKUP TO GO may be a promising strategy for addressing norm misperceptions and subsequently drinking for Canadian students.

College student normative misperceptions of peer study habit use

We examined the extent to which college students’ self-reported study strategy use relates to perceived peer strategy use, allowing us to determine whether college students misperceive peers’ use of different study strategies. College students (n = 195) reported their use and perceived peer use of 10 different study strategies. Study strategy use positively related to GPA. Moreover, students perceived higher rates of peers’ use of relatively ineffective strategies (e.g., highlighting/underlining) and perceived lower rates of peers’ use of the highly effective strategy of distributing practice, compared to actual reports. Perceiving that peers are more likely to utilize ineffective strategies and less likely to utilize effective strategies may contribute to continued use of counterproductive or ineffective study behavior.

Social norms for sexual violence perpetration in college

PurposeSexual violence (SV) is a pervasive public health issue on college campuses. While much research has been conducted to determine factors contributing to SV, little work focuses on the role of perceived social norms. The purpose of this paper is to examine college students’ perceived descriptive norms for SV perpetration (i.e. prevalence estimates for SV).Design/methodology/approachUsing a cross-sectional survey, male and female college students from a large public institution in the Southeastern USA were instructed to estimate the prevalence of SV for “typical students” of their same gender on campus.FindingsWhen compared to actual prevalence rates of SV perpetrated by females and males, both perpetrators and non-perpetrators overestimated the prevalence of SV among same-sex peers, but perpetrators made even higher estimates compared to those made by non-perpetrators for some sexually aggressive acts. Results demonstrate strong and consistent normative misperceptions surrounding SV perpetration.Research limitations/implicationsFindings lend support for testing social norms-based prevention programs for SV on college campuses.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first investigations into perceived social norms surrounding SV; perceived social norms may be an influential factor contributing to SV.

(Mis)perceptions of Law in Consumer Markets

There are good reasons to believe that consumers’ behavior is sometimes influenced by systematic misperceptions of legal norms that govern product quality. Consumers might misperceive specific rules, such as those found in food safety regulations, as well as more general standards, such as the unconscionability doctrine or limitations on waivers of default substantive or procedural rights. When demand is affected by systematic misperceptions of legal norms, lawmakers may be able to maximize welfare by deviating from the legal standard that would be optimal in the absence of misperception. We use a formal model to characterize these optimal deviations under different legal regimes (with different types and magnitudes of sanctions). In particular, should the legal standard be adjusted to counteract or confirm the misperception? For instance, if consumers underestimate the level of legal protection is it desirable to raise the legal standard to counteract the misperception? Or should lawmakers lower the legal standard to confirm the misperception?

Combining Social Norms and Social Marketing to Address Underage Drinking: Development and Process Evaluation of a Whole-of-Community Intervention.

Youth alcohol consumption has been steadily declining in Australia, as in other countries; fewer young people are drinking and the age of initiation is increasing. However, young people, their parents and others in their communities continue to believe that adolescent (excessive) drinking is the norm. This perception, and the concurrent misperception that the majority of parents are happy to provide their underage children with alcohol, creates a perceived culture of acceptance of youth alcohol consumption. Young people believe that it is accepted, and even expected, that they will drink; and parents perceive that not providing their adolescent children with alcohol will lead to social exclusion. There is evidence that shifting social norms can have an immediate and lasting effect adolescents’ (and adults’) alcohol related attitudes and behaviors. This paper reports on a novel, community based social marketing intervention designed to correct misperceptions of alcohol related social norms in an Australian community. The project utilized a social marketing approach, informed by the full complement of Andreasen’s social marketing benchmarking criteria, and concurrently targeted adolescents, parents of adolescents and the broader community. Using extensive formative research and multiple evaluation techniques, the study demonstrates that shifts in community social norms are possible and suggests that this approach could be used more widely to support the positive trends in youth alcohol consumption and parental supply.

A parent-based intervention reduces heavy episodic drinking among first-year college students.

A randomized controlled trial tested an interactive normative feedback-based intervention-codenamed "FITSTART"-delivered to groups of 50-100 parents of matriculating college students. The 60-min session motivated parents to alter their alcohol-related communication by correcting normative misperceptions (e.g., about how approving other parents are of student drinking) with live-generated data. Then, tips were provided on discussing drinking effectively. Incoming students (N = 331; 62.2% female) completed baseline measures prior to new-student orientation. Next, at parent orientation in June, these students' parents were assigned to either FITSTART or a control session. Finally, 4 months later, students completed a follow-up survey. Results revealed that students whose parents received FITSTART during the summer consumed less alcohol and were less likely to engage in heavy episodic drinking (HED) during the first month of college. These effects were mediated by FITSTART students' lower perceptions of their parents' approval of alcohol consumption. Further, FITSTART students who were not drinkers in high school were less likely to initiate drinking and to start experiencing negative consequences during the first month of college, where FITSTART students who had been drinkers in high school experienced fewer consequences overall and were significantly more likely to report that they did not experience any consequences whatsoever during the first month of college. Importantly, FITSTART is the first parent-based intervention to impact HED, one of the most well-studied indicators of risky drinking. Thus, interactive group normative feedback with parents is a promising approach for reducing college alcohol risk. (PsycINFO Database Record

The expected and unexpected media effects on youth’s (mis)perceptions of peer norms: Chinese college students’ overestimation of peer smoking prevalence

Youth’s perceptions of peer norms have profound effects on their attitudes and behaviors. Unfortunately, their perceptions of peers tend to be biased. To investigate the role of media in the formation of misperceived peer norms, the current study tested and compared two media-effect mechanisms: the direct exemplar mechanism and the indirect influence of presumed influence (IPI) mechanism. The two mechanisms were tested in a sample (n = 1746) that is representative of college students in one large university in China, based on which the actual and perceived campus smoking rates were examined. The individual-level perceived peer smoking prevalence was then analyzed in comparison with the campus-level actual smoking prevalence. The results revealed serious overestimations of peer smoking prevalence. As predicted, pro-smoking media content significantly heightened smoking prevalence estimates through both exemplar and IPI mechanisms. In contrast, anti-smoking messages did not elicit any intended effect through the IPI mechanism, but showed a boomerang effect through the exemplar mechanism. These findings suggest that both pro- and anti-smoking media content may be responsible for inflated perceptions of peer smoking among youth.

A multisite randomized trial of normative feedback for heavy drinking: Social comparison versus social comparison plus correction of normative misperceptions.

Given widespread alcohol misuse among college students, numerous intervention programs have been developed, including personalized normative feedback (PNF). Most research evaluating PNF assumes that presenting one's own perceived norms is necessary to correct normative misperceptions and thereby reduce drinking. Alternatively, simply providing social comparison information showing that one drinks more than others may be sufficient. The present study evaluated the efficacy of full PNF (one's own drinking, campus drinking rates, and perceived norms) and a partial personalized social comparison feedback (PSCF; one's own drinking and campus drinking rates) in a randomized trial among heavy-drinking college students. Participants included 623 heavy-drinking students from 3 universities. Assessments occurred at baseline and 3- and 6-months postbaseline. Primary analyses examined differences across 4 drinking outcomes (drinks per week, total drinks past month, frequency of past month drinking, and negative alcohol-related consequences) at 3- and 6-month follow-ups controlling for the baseline variable. Results revealed significant reductions across all alcohol consumption outcomes at 3 months in both intervention conditions compared to attention-control. Mediation analyses demonstrated significant indirect effects of the intervention on 6-month drinking through changes in perceived norms at 3 months. Moreover, evidence emerged for changes in drinking at 3 months as a mediator of the association between PSCF and 6-month perceived norms. The present research suggests PNF may not require explicit consideration of one's perceived norms to be effective and that direct social comparison provides an alternative theoretical mechanism for PNF efficacy.

Misalignment and Misperception in Preferences to Utilize Family‐Friendly Benefits: Implications for Benefit Utilization and Work–Family Conflict

Despite their increasing popularity, family‐friendly benefits are frequently underutilized. Drawing on literatures concerning social norms and pluralistic ignorance, this study examines the role of personal preference, group norm misalignment, and misperception of group norms on employees’ utilization of family‐friendly benefits. In 2 samples (154 firefighters and 440 nurses) across 3 data collection periods, we found that when employees’ preferences for benefit utilization were misaligned with the perceived group norm, they adjusted their family‐friendly benefit utilization in a manner congruent with the norm, even when that norm was misperceived. Further, we found that family‐friendly benefit utilization was negatively associated with work–family conflict. Together, our findings suggest that misperceived social norms regarding family‐friendly benefit utilization can lead to situations whereby employees do not utilize family‐friendly benefits because they mistakenly perceive utilization is not socially accepted and, as a result, experience higher work–family conflict.

Coping Motives Moderate Efficacy of Personalized Normative Feedback Among Heavy Drinking U.S. College Students.

Personalized normative feedback (PNF) interventions have received empirical support, are presumed to work by reducing normative misperceptions, and have been found to be particularly efficacious for those who drink for social reasons. However, PNF interventions also offer direct comparisons between one's own drinking and normative drinking, which may be especially important for coping drinkers. The present research evaluated whether reduced perceived norms and drinking at follow-ups varied as a function of coping motives. Aims were examined as a secondary analysis of a PNF intervention study among 252 U.S. college students. Following baseline assessment, participants were randomly assigned to receive PNF or assessment only. Follow-up assessments occurred 3 and 6 months after baseline. Findings indicated that the PNF intervention was more effective at both follow-ups in reducing drinking, but not alcohol use problems, for participants scoring higher in coping motives. Furthermore, coping motives were the only drinking motive that uniquely moderated PNF efficacy. Analyses indicated that intervention effects on drinking varied as a function of coping drinking motives; however, intervention effects on norms did not vary by coping motives. Finally, coping motives were found to moderate associations between perceived norms and drinking. These results suggest that coping motives may be useful for identifying young adults-and presumably others-who can most benefit from PNF approaches. Furthermore, PNF may influence future drinking behavior through mechanisms other than changes in perceived norms. Future investigations could examine other pathways through which PNF may reduce drinking.

(Mis)perceptions of Law in Consumer Markets

There are good reasons to believe that consumers’ behavior is sometimes influenced by systematic misperceptions of legal norms that govern product quality. Consumers might misperceive specific rules, such as those found in food safety regulations, as well as more general standards, such as the unconscionability doctrine or limitations on waivers of default substantive or procedural rights. When demand is affected by systematic misperceptions of legal norms, lawmakers may be able to maximize welfare by deviating from the legal standard that would be optimal in the absence of misperception. We use a formal model to characterize these optimal deviations under different legal regimes (with different types and magnitudes of sanctions). In particular, should the legal standard be adjusted to correct or confirm the misperception? For instance, if consumers under-estimate the level of legal protection is it desirable to raise the legal standard to correct the misperception? Or should lawmakers lower the legal standard to confirm the misperception?

Supply of alcohol to underage drinkers: Misperceptions of community norms

RationaleAdult approval and acceptance of alcohol use is highly correlated with underage drinking. Social norms influence young people's decisions to drink alcohol. While there is a dearth of studies to date, it is likely that social norms also influence adults' decisions to provide adolescents with alcohol. ObjectiveThe current study explored the (in)consistencies between own and perceptions of others' views of underage drinking and the provision of alcohol to underage drinkers. MethodsComputer assisted telephone survey of 1160 adults in two communities in New South Wales, Australia. ResultsParents and community members were generally opposed to underage drinking and supply of alcohol to adolescents. Females, older respondents, and those who were parents were significantly more likely to disapprove of both underage drinking and supply of alcohol. However, across all of the behaviours, parents and non-parents alike perceived general community attitudes to be more liberal than their own. ConclusionThere is a need for community-based interventions that target parental misperceptions about the prevalence of youth drinking and the acceptability of drinking and supply of alcohol within their local community.

Road safety education: What works?

ObjectivesThe objectives of the paper are:•To present the main definitions and issues about road safety education (RSE) such as evaluation, historical evolutions and integration of RSE in Safe Systems Approaches.•To present examples of good practices in RSE. MethodSeminal papers, collaborative reports from traffic safety research institutes and books from experts have been used as materials. Very diverse fields of application are presented such as: the importance of emotional experience in interaction with traffic experiences; the efficiency of e-learning; the efficiency of simulators to improve hazard perception skills and calibration of one’s driving competencies; the efficiency of social norms marketing at changing behaviors by correcting normative misperceptions; the usefulness of parents-based interventions to improve parental supervision; and finally the importance of multi-components programs due to their synergies. ConclusionsScientific evidence collected in this paper shows that RSE may have some positive effects if good practices are adopted, if it is part of a lifelong learning process and if transmits not only knowledge but also “life-skills” (or psycho-social competences). Implicationsfor practice From each example, we will see the implications of the results for the implementation of RSE.

Brief Motivational Interventions Are Associated With Reductions in Alcohol-Impaired Driving Among College Drinkers.

Alcohol-impaired (AI) driving among college students remains a significant public health concern and may be the single most risky drinking outcome among young adults. Brief motivational interventions (BMIs) have been shown to reduce alcohol use and problems, but their specific efficacy for decreasing AI driving among college students is unknown. The present study analyzed data from three randomized controlled trials of BMI (Murphy et al., 2010: n = 74; Borsari et al., 2012: n = 530; and Martens et al., 2013: n = 365) to evaluate whether BMIs are associated with reductions in AI driving among college student drinkers. Participants in all three studies were randomized to BMI or control conditions. Participants reported whether they had driven under the influence (yes/no) following the BMI over the follow-up period. Separate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted for each study. For Studies 1 and 2, these analyses revealed that a BMI was significantly associated with reductions in AI driving at the final (6-month and 9-month, respectively) follow-up compared with the control condition. For Study 3, analyses revealed that a single-component BMI focused on the correction of misperceptions of descriptive norms was significantly associated with reductions in AI driving compared with the control group at the final (6-month) followup, whereas a single-component BMI focused on the use of protective behavioral strategies was not. Change in drinking level did not mediate the relationship between the condition and the change in AI driving. Counselor-administered BMIs that include descriptive normative feedback are associated with significant reductions in AI driving compared with control.

Predictors of Sexual Assault-Specific Prosocial Bystander Behavior and Intentions: A Prospective Analysis.

This study prospectively examined the impact of men's own attitudes and behaviors and perceptions of peer attitudes and behaviors on intentions and engagement in prosocial bystander behavior. Undergraduate men completed surveys at baseline and 4- and 7-month follow-ups. Men's perceptions of peer attitudes and behaviors and their own attitudes and behaviors were both important predictors of intentions. However, men's own attitudes and behaviors appeared to be more robustly predictive of behavior. Intentions to engage in bystander behavior were not predictive of behavior. Results support two specific areas of bystander intervention programming addressing misperceptions of social norms and personal attitudes and behaviors.

Normative misperceptions of tobacco use among university students in seven European countries: Baseline findings of the ‘Social Norms Intervention for the prevention of Polydrug usE’ study

IntroductionResearch conducted in North America suggests that students tend to overestimate tobacco use among their peers. This perceived norm may impact personal tobacco use. It remains unclear how these perceptions influence tobacco use among European students. The two aims were to investigate possible self-other discrepancies regarding personal use and attitudes towards use and to evaluate if perceptions of peer use and peer approval of use are associated with personal use and approval of tobacco use. MethodsThe EU-funded ‘Social Norms Intervention for the prevention of Polydrug usE’ study was conducted in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Slovak Republic, Spain, Turkey and United Kingdom. In total, 4482 students (71% female) answered an online survey including questions on personal and perceived tobacco use and personal and perceived attitudes towards tobacco use. ResultsAcross all countries, the majority of students perceived tobacco use of their peers to be higher than their own use. The perception that the majority (>50%) of peers used tobacco regularly in the past two months was significantly associated with higher odds for personal regular use (OR: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.90–3.73). The perception that the majority of peers approve of tobacco use was significantly associated with higher odds for personal approval of tobacco use (OR: 6.49, 95% CI: 4.54–9.28). ConclusionsPerceived norms are an important predictor of personal tobacco use and attitudes towards use. Interventions addressing perceived norms may be a viable method to change attitudes and tobacco use among European students, and may be a component of future tobacco control policy.

Reducing High-Risk Drinking Among Student-Athletes: The Effects of a Targeted Athlete-Specific Brief Intervention

Objective: This study examined the effects of a single-session motivational interviewing–based in-person brief alcohol intervention that contained student-athlete–specific personalized drinking feedback. Participants: Participants were 170 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletes meeting screening criteria for heavy episodic drinking. Methods: Baseline assessments of alcohol use frequency and quantity, norm perceptions of peers' alcohol use, experiences of negative consequences, and use of protective behaviors were administered to student-athletes prior to a 1-session brief intervention containing personalized feedback highlighting the relationship between alcohol use and athletic performance. Follow-up assessment was conducted 3 months post intervention. Results: Student-athletes participating in the athlete-specific brief intervention showed significant reductions in their alcohol use and alcohol-related negative consequences, increases in use of protective behavioral strategies, and corrections in norm misperceptions at 3 months post intervention relative to a no-treatment comparison group. Conclusions: Student-athlete–specific brief alcohol interventions show promise in addressing high-risk drinking, reducing associated harms, and supporting health.

Perception or Reality of Body Weight: Which Matters the Most to Adolescents’ Emotional Well-being?

We systematically examined recent publications to weigh the relative contribution of directly measured and perceived body weight on the status of emotional well-being, and to determine whether the relationship between measured body weight and emotional well-being is mediated or confounded by perceived body weight among adolescents (11-18 year old). A total of 61 papers met inclusion criteria and were included for review. Approximately, half of the studies suggested a relationship between emotional statuses and directly measured body weight; whereas, the other half did not. The presence of a relationship primarily depended on how perceived body weight was controlled for. Results were converging for studies that included both measured and perceived body weight. Irrespective of directly measured body weight, perceived weight was significantly associated with emotional health. Perceived overweight was a predominant concern among girls; whereas, perceived underweight and overweight were equally worrisome to boys. The findings also suggest a bidirectional relationship between body weight and poor emotional health. Perceived overweight predicted depressive symptoms in longitudinal studies. Meanwhile, low self-esteem aggravated the onset of obesity, and depressive symptom exacerbates an excessive increase in body weight. Programs to correct normative misperceptions and reduce stigma exposure may improve emotional well-being and ultimately lead to more effective prevention of both obesity and emotional disturbances among adolescents. Keywords: Adolescents, BMI, depression, measured body weight, perceived body weight, Self-esteem.

Adolescents misperceive and are influenced by high-status peers' health risk, deviant, and adaptive behavior.

Most peer influence research examines socialization between adolescents and their best friends. Yet, adolescents also are influenced by popular peers, perhaps due to misperceptions of social norms. This research examined the extent to which out-group and in-group adolescents misperceive the frequencies of peers' deviant, health risk, and adaptive behaviors in different reputation-based peer crowds (Study 1) and the prospective associations between perceptions of high-status peers' and adolescents' own substance use over 2.5 years (Study 2). Study 1 examined 235 adolescents' reported deviant (vandalism, theft), health risk (substance use, sexual risk), and adaptive (exercise, studying) behavior, and their perceptions of jocks', populars', burnouts', and brains' engagement in the same behaviors. Peer nominations identified adolescents in each peer crowd. Jocks and populars were rated as higher status than brains and burnouts. Results indicated that peer crowd stereotypes are caricatures. Misperceptions of high-status crowds were dramatic, but for many behaviors, no differences between populars'/jocks' and others' actual reported behaviors were revealed. Study 2 assessed 166 adolescents' substance use and their perceptions of popular peers' (i.e., peers high in peer perceived popularity) substance use. Parallel process latent growth analyses revealed that higher perceptions of popular peers' substance use in Grade 9 (intercept) significantly predicted steeper increases in adolescents' own substance use from Grade 9 to 11 (slope). Results from both studies, utilizing different methods, offer evidence to suggest that adolescents misperceive high-status peers' risk behaviors, and these misperceptions may predict adolescents' own risk behavior engagement.

Normative misperceptions about alcohol use in the general population of drinkers: A cross-sectional survey

IntroductionUnderestimating one's own alcohol consumption relative to others (‘normative misperception’) has been documented in some college student and heavy-alcohol using samples, and may contribute to excessive drinking. This study aimed to assess how far this phenomenon extends to alcohol users more generally in four English-speaking countries and if associations with socio-demographic and drinking variables exist. MethodsA cross-sectional online global survey (Global Drugs Survey-2012) was completed by 9820 people aged 18+ from Australia, Canada, the UK and US who had consumed alcohol in the last year. The survey included the AUDIT questionnaire (which assessed alcohol consumption, harmful drinking and alcohol dependence), socio-demographic assessment and a question assessing beliefs about how one's drinking compares with others. Associations were analysed by linear regression models. ResultsUnderestimation of own alcohol use relative to others occurred in 46.9% (95% CI: 45.9%, 47.9%) of respondents. 25.4% of participants at risk of alcohol dependence and 36.6% of harmful alcohol users believed their drinking to be average or less. Underestimation was more likely among those who were: younger (16–24; p<0.003), male (p<0.001), from the UK (versus US; p<0.001), less well educated (p=0.003), white (p=0.035), and unemployed (versus employed; p<0.001). ConclusionsUnderestimating one's own alcohol consumption relative to other drinkers is common in Australia, Canada, the UK and US, with a substantial minority of harmful drinkers believing their consumption to be at or below average. This normative misperception is greater in those who are younger, male, less well educated, unemployed, white, from the UK and high-risk drinkers.