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The Role of Sex-specific Normative Beliefs in Undergraduate Alcohol Use

American Journal of Health BehaviorPublished 1 July 2005
Dennis L. Thombs, Jennifer Ray-Tomasek, Cynthia J. Osborn, R. Scott Olds
Citations63
SJR quartileQ3
SJR score0.41
SNIP0.42

TL;DR

The findings challenge the current application of the popular social norms approach that relies on distal drinking norms to provide normative feedback.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To create explanatory models of 3 undergraduate drinking practices based on sex-specific norms. METHODS: An electronic, student survey at one Mid-western university produced a representative sample of college students. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses indicated that close-friend norms were the best predictors of drinking frequency, quantity, and drunkenness. With one exception, typical student (or distal) norms had no significant relationship to drinking. Opposite-sex norms had associations with drinking above and beyond that explained by same-sex norms. CONCLUSIONS: The findings challenge the current application of the popular social norms approach that relies on distal drinking norms to provide normative feedback.

Keywords

PsychologyMedicine