Normative Misperceptions of Alcohol Use Among Substance Abusing Army Personnel

Abstract

This research examines discrepancies among perceived norms, actual norms, and own behavior for alcohol in the military. Participants included 159 substance-abusing, active-duty U.S. Army personnel. Participants’ estimates of the average number of drinks consumed by Army personnel were significantly higher than the actual norm. Participants also overestimated the percentage of Army personnel who have engaged in heavy episodic drinking relative to the actual percentage. Participants’ own drinking was associated with their overestimations of other military personnel drinking but not other civilian drinking. Results provide foundational support for the use of military-specific normative feedback as a potential intervention strategy.

Keywords:

• Social norms
• drinking
• Army
• intervention
• military
• alcohol
• social influence
• misperception
• substance use
• active duty