The long-term effectiveness of a social norming campaign to reduce high-risk drinking: The Michigan State University experience, 2000–2014

Abstract

Objective

Evaluate effectiveness of a university-wide social norms marketing campaign to reduce high-risk drinking and its consequences among students at MSU. Participants: Campaign messages regarding descriptive and injunctive norms were distributed campus-wide from 2001 to 2014 to correct norm misperceptions. Methods: Random samples of students surveyed most semesters to monitor message saturation, dosage, and believability along with drinking attitudes, behaviors and harm related to celebratory events. NCHA conducted biennially since 2000 to assess overall progress. Results: Perceived drinking norms declined along with measures of actual drinking intensity, frequency, and frequency of intense drinking. Use of protective behaviors most often addressed in campaign messages increased while driving after drinking declined. Importantly, reported adverse effects of drinking on academic performance declined substantially. Conclusions: The evidence suggests the social norms approach has been effective at reducing adverse academic outcomes of drinking. Changes in perceptions, attitudes, behaviors and outcomes appear to be continuing.

Keywords:

• alcohol
• high-risk drinking
• college students
• social norms
• harm-reduction

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the insights, encouragement, and suggestions of Erica Phillipich, Theresa Quaderer, Kami Silk, Charles Atkin, Ed Glazer, Bruce Vandebergh and his Advertising class, Linda Hancock, Jennifer Bauerle, Alan Berkowitz, Michael Haines, and Wesley Perkins.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Michigan State University Committee for Research Involving Human Subjects.

Notes

1 Other recent vehicles for distributing messages and an illustration of the volume of messages distributed annually are described in the Appendix.

Additional information

Funding

The authors have received some funding for their efforts on the campaign and evaluation from the Anheuser-Busch Foundation through the National Social Norms Center at Michigan State University, the National Social Norms Institute at the University of Virginia, and the National Social Norms Research Center at Northern Illinois University.