The Differential Role of Perceived Same-Gender and Gender-Neutral Norms in Emerging Adult Risk Behavior

Abstract

Background: Normative perceptions are strongly related to risk behaviors among emerging adults but the role of gender-specific normative perceptions remain unclear. Objectives: The current study examined the differential effects of same-gender and gender-neutral normative perceptions on self-reported substance use and sexual risk behavior. College students (n = 389, ages 18-25) reported binge drinking, cannabis use and prescription drug misuse, sexual risk behavior, and the perceived frequency of these behaviors by both the average- and same-gender adult. Results: Binge drinking was positively associated with same-gender norms only, whereas cannabis use and sexual risk behavior were also positively associated with gender-neutral norms perceptions. For binge drinking only, same-gender norms explained more variance in behavior than gender-neutral norms. Conclusions: Findings indicate perceptions of same-gender norms play a particularly important role in binge drinking during this developmental period. Interventions targeting emerging adult risk behavior should include within-group normative perceptions related to demographic and social group characteristics.

Keywords:

• Binge drinking
• substance use
• sexual risk behavior
• perceptions
• norms
• gender
• emerging adults

Declaration of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences under Grant KL2 TR002346.