Normative Assessment 1997-2007: A Sample of College Student's Alcohol Attitudes and Behaviors

Social norms theory suggests that much of people's behavior is strongly influenced by their perceptions of what is "normal" or "typical." However, it has been shown that people often overestimate what they perceive others think and do and sometimes underestimate what they themselves do. Students typically overestimate substance use and overestimate the permissiveness of their peers. Some alcohol consumption may be perpetuated by the belief that it is excessive. Consequently it is recommended that prevention efforts focus on providing students with accurate information on peer drinking attitudes and behavior. The purpose of this project was to assess students' attitudes and behavior and their perceptions of the attitudes and behavior of college students related to alcohol and other drugs.

The Normative Assessment, based on social norms theory, was administered to college students each year from 1997-2007at a public university. A total of 238 students have completed the 38 item survey over the past eleven years with generally consistent results over that time period. The most frequent personal attitude about alcohol reported was "an occasional 'drunk' is OK as long as it doesn't interfere with responsibilities". The most frequent response regarding the unspoken attitude was "a frequent 'drunk' is OK if that is what somebody wants to do". Average respondent drank 1-3 times a week and 3-5 drinks the last time they drank with either 3-5 or 6-9 as the average drinks per party. Respondents overestimated college students' attitudes and behaviors about alcohol, supporting the premise of social norms theory.