Testing the Effect of Social Norms Theory-based Interventions: Are they Harmful for University Students who Drink Less than the Peer Norm?

Background. Social norms theory-based interventions have been widely used to reduce alcohol consumption among college and university students. Lately, it has been argued that such interventions may actually increase alcohol use among light drinkers. However, little studies have been focused on testing this possible negative effect. Objectives. The aim of this study was to examine possible negative impact of descriptive normative feedback (DNF) on drinking intentions among students whose baseline drinking scores were below the average of a reference group. We also studied the preventive effect of injunctive normative feedback (INF). Methods. Actual descriptive and injunctive norms were collected from 234 university students. From those who reported drinking below the norm, 26 were randomly assigned to a control or intervention condition that received normative feedback via PowerPoint presentations over two meetings. Results. DNF increased students’ intentions of spirits drinking frequency and quantity. Meanwhile intentions to drink beer, cider, wine and cocktails remained the same. Increased intentions to drink spirits were not reduced by INF. Conclusions. Findings suggest that DNF-based interventions might negatively affect the use of spirits among those students who consume less than their peer norm by increasing their intentions to drink spirits more often and in larger quantities. Ways other than the INF to prevent this negative effect need to be further explored.

The imaginary friends of my friends: Imagined contact interventions which highlight supportive social norms reduce children’s antirefugee bias

Fostering inclusive attitudes among children in host classrooms is key to integrating refugee children. A field experiment tests the prejudice reduction effects of a teacher-led activity integrating imagined intergroup contact and normative influence. To enhance the effectiveness of imagined contact, scenarios include supportive ingroup norms. In 29 classes, 545 children ( Mage = 10.88, SD = 0.96) were randomly assigned to one of five conditions: standard imagined contact, imagined contact encouraged by family, class peers, or religious ingroups, or a control. Children in all norm-framed imagined contact conditions had significantly less antirefugee bias compared with the control. The class-peer norm frame significantly reduced affective and cognitive facets of bias. The family norm frame reduced affective bias, and the religious norm frame reduced cognitive bias. Standard imagined contact did not differ from the control. Potential mediating pathways are explored. These findings illustrate the utility of incorporating norms into imagined contact interventions to reduce antirefugee bias among schoolchildren.

Mitigating Teen Driver Distraction: In-Vehicle Feedback Based on Peer Social Norms

Objective To investigate the efficacy of in-vehicle feedback based on peer social norms in mitigating teen driver distraction. Background Distraction is a significant problem among teen drivers. Research into the use of in-vehicle technologies to mitigate this issue has been limited. In particular, there is a need to study whether social norms interventions provided through in-vehicle feedback can be effective. Peers are important social referents for teens; thus, normative intervention based on this group is promising. Socially proximal referents have a greater influence on behavior; thus, tailoring peer norm feedback based on gender may provide additional benefits. Method In this study, 57 teens completed a driving simulator experiment while performing a secondary task in three between-subject conditions: (a) postdrive feedback incorporating same-gender peer norms, (b) postdrive feedback incorporating opposite-gender peer norms, and (c) no feedback. Feedback involved information based on descriptive norms (what others do). Results Teens’ self-reported frequency of distraction engagement was positively correlated with their perceptions of their peers’ engagement in and approval of distractions. Feedback based on peer norms was effective in reducing distraction engagement and improving driving performance, with no difference between same- and opposite-gender feedback. Conclusion/Application Feedback based on peer norms can help mitigate driver distraction among teens. Tailoring social norms feedback to teen gender appears to not provide any additional benefits. Longer-term effectiveness in real-world settings should be investigated.

Nudging Emergency Care Providers to Reduce Opioid Prescribing Using Peer Norm Comparison Feedback: A Pilot Randomized Trial

Objective To determine the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of using audit and feedback (A&F) with or without peer norm comparison on opioid prescribing by emergency medicine providers. Methods A convenience sample of 37 emergency medicine providers were recruited from 16 emergency departments in Western Pennsylvania for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Participants completed a baseline survey, were randomly allocated to A&F (N = 17) or A&F with peer norm comparison (N = 20), and were asked to complete a postintervention survey. We matched each participant 1:1 to a control who was not exposed to either intervention. Results At baseline, 57% of participants perceived that they prescribed opioids at the same frequency as their peers, whereas 32% perceived prescribing less than and 11% perceived prescribing more than their peers. Most participants rated the interventions as helpful, with no differences between conditions. For the A&F with peer norm comparison condition, from pre- to postintervention, there was a relative increase of 20% in the percentage of participants who perceived that they prescribed more opioids than their peers but no change in the A&F condition (P = 0.02). 56.8% of controls, 52.9% of A&F participants, and 75.5% of A&F with peer norm comparison participants reduced their opioid prescribing (P = 0.33). The mean reduction in opioid prescriptions (SD) was 3.3. (9.6) for controls, 3.9 (10.5) for A&F, and 7.3 (7.8) for A&F with peer norm comparison (P = 0.31). Conclusions Audit and feedback interventions with peer norm comparisons are helpful to providers, can alter perceptions about prescribing norms, and are a potentially effective way to alter ED providers’ opioid prescribing behavior.

Misperceiving A Code of Silence: Peer Support for Telling Authorities About Weapons at School Among Middle School and High School Students in the United States

This study explores misperceptions about peer norms in support of telling authorities about weapons at school and whether perceptions predict personal support for telling authorities. Anonymous surveys were conducted among youth in 30 schools (Grades 5-12) in six states ( n = 12,903) between 2006 and 2014. Personal support for telling principals, teachers/counselors, police/security, and parents, separately, about weapons at school was measured as well as perception of peers’ support for telling authorities. Most students in most schools personally thought that students should tell authorities about weapons. However, depending on the authority, 37% to 52% of students mistakenly believed that most students did not support students telling authorities. Regression analysis revealed that perceiving support for telling authorities as normative among peers was highly predictive of personal support—much more so than other predictors. Thus, misperceptions of the peer norm as a code of silence may contribute to the problem of weapons at school.