Goals of Project Wellness

1. Project Wellness and The Social Norms Method for Health Enhancement and Harm Reduction(and Implications for Physical Activity Promotion)

4. Correct campus misperceptions that most K-State students are heavy drinkers who do not know how to use alcohol safely or responsibly and therefore cause harm to themselves or others. Reduce heavy drinking among K-State students to more moderate and safer levels. And increase use of protective behaviors. Reduce harm experienced as a result of heavy drinking and/or infrequent use of protective behaviors. Goals of Project Wellness

5. Theory and Research Behind the Social Norms Method

6. Social Norm • An expected standard of behavior and belief established and enforced by a group • A pattern or trait taken to be typical in the behavior of a social group People’s perception of social norms are often a good predictor of what they will say and do

7. October 1987: Students Carrying Backpacks

8. March 2003: Students Carrying Backpacks

9. Sociological Theory • Norms are fundamental to understanding the social order and variations in human behavior (Campbell, 1964; Durkheim, 1951)

10. Sociological Theory • Sociologist Wesley Perkins (2002) notes that “social psychologists have long argued that people tend to adopt group attitudes and act in accordance with group expectations and behaviors based on affiliation needs and social comparison processes (Festinger, 1954), social pressure toward group conformity (Asch, 1951, 1952), and the formation and acquisition of reference group norms (Newcomb, 1943; Newcomb and Wilson, 1966: Sherif, 1936, 1972)

11. Research of W. Perkins and A. Berkowitz, Sociologists • Found that college students regularly and grossly overestimated the drinking of their peers, and thus created a false norm of heavy drinking

12. A Premise of Social Norms Method • A powerful determinant of college student behavior (particularly related to drinking) is what they perceive or believe other students are doing – what is the norm

13. Why peer influence is so powerful during college years • Time of personal development • Time of Forming and Norming lifetime attitudes • Distance from family • Availability of peers • Low influence of campus adults

14. Mechanisms that cause and perpetuate the false norm • Media Attention to sensational, atypical events • Images from popular culture

15. Causes of false norm (cont.) • Public conversation: “Did you see Jack at the party last night …” • Vividness effect • Attribution error

16. Perception vs. Actual: False Norm at K-State?

17. How a False Norm Can Function in a Social Group • Pluralistic Ignorance When one falsely believes one’s private attitudes, judgments, or behaviors are different from the majority. Individual adjusts actions to fit in; increases participation in what he/she thinks is socially desirable.

18. Social Norms ModelAlcohol-Related Harm Alcohol Use Misperceptions Alcohol Use Behaviors Harmful Consequences

19. The Opportunity • College students’ actual drinking norm is much less than what they perceive it to be

20. Social Norms theory hypothesis • If students know the true norm of their peers their own behavior will be more consistent with this behavior than with the false norm.

21. Social Norms ModelReducing Harm Correct Information on Alcohol-Use Norms More Moderate Alcohol Use Less Harmful Consequences

22. Applying Social Norms Method: Media Campaign Procedures • Get information from target population --Survey student body • Inform target population about alcohol use norms of students through consistent media messages

23. Project Wellness 2003 Survey Data Responsible drinking is the norm at K-State! • K-Staters average about one drink per hour when they party. • Most (56%) party one or fewer nights per week.

24. 2003 Survey Data (cont.) K-Staters know how to keep themselves and others safe when they use alcohol! Of those who drink: • 88% choose to drink in places they know they will be safe • 88% report they never pressure someone to drink • 84% report they usually or always have a designated driver • 62% report they keep track of the number of drinks they have

25. Alcohol-related harm is low 98% Report they have not required medical attention because of their drinking 90% Report they have not been in a physical fight due to their drinking 85% Report they have not damaged property due to their drinking 82% Report they have not done poorly on a test or important project because of their drinking 2003 Survey Data (cont.)

26. Getting information on norms • Classroom Survey • Media Testing • Focus Groups • Poster Incentive Project • Freshman Focus Groups • Seminar: Investigating The Student Experience • VIP/Influential Students Project (Tippers) • On-line Journaling & Discussion Group With Leadership Students

27. What We Learned Consequences Students Want to Avoid • Doing something embarrassing, humiliating • Hangovers • Late for or miss class/work • Weight gain & decrease physical fitness • Assault, accident, DUI: terrible, but not likely

28. What We LearnedProtective Behaviors Utilized by Students • Designated drivers • “Buddy system” • Time management • Limit money • Idiosyncratic ways of “knowing” when to stop • Upperclassmen learned how to drink more safely from experience

29. What We LearnedWhat’s Important to Students • Academic success • Graduating, getting desired job • Physical health • Healthy relationships and friendships • Fun, stress relief, letting go

30. Delivering Social Norms Messages • 127 advertisements (~ 27 Fall, 12 Spring) • Posters (2000, 2001) • Flyers • Give-away items • Banner • Web site

31. Advertising in the CollegianProgression of Media Development Give basic consumption messages

32. Advertising in the CollegianProgression of Media Development Highlight protective behaviors

33. Advertising in the CollegianProgression of Media Development Link drinking with important issues & emphasize safer partying

34. Advertising in the CollegianProgression of Media Development Improve the link between other health/important issues and drinking

35. Characteristics of Social Norms Marketing • Positive – Promotes, supports, and affirms the healthy behaviors of students Motivates them to use the skills they already possess • Inclusive – No one is excluded from access to wellness • Empowering – Encourages people to act on their own behalf and identifies what they can do to realize wellness

36. Measuring Outcomes of Intervention • Survey data • Focus group data • Mall intercept data • Auxiliary data • Qualitative interviews with KSU student services personnel • Data from KSU student services

37. Outcome measuresData on Perception of Consumption (Nights Party/Week) - - - - - No media

38. Outcome measuresData on Perception of Protective Behaviors

39. Outcome measuresHarmful Consequences - - - / - - -No media

40. Other Social Norms Implementations

41. Injunctive (Attitudinal) Norms • Addressing students’ attitudes about and comfort with high risk health behaviors.

42. Can Social Norms be used for Physical Activity Promotion? • Combine Social Norms and Theory of Reasoned Action • Recall: • Subjective norm = perceived social pressure to to perform or not perform the behavior • Normative beliefs = perceived expectations of important others • Motivation to comply with normative beliefs

43. Theory of Reasoned Action Behavioral Beliefs Evaluation of B. B Attitude Behavior Intention Subjective Norm Motivation to Comply Normative Beliefs

44. Example: PA in Older Adults (50+) • Godin and Shephard (1990): • Adult population held favorable impression of physician’s attitude toward exercise. • People had desire to comply with such beliefs.

45. Possible Social Norms Marketing Strategies • To increase normative beliefs that important others (physician and peers) approve of regular PA and to increase motivation to comply -- Advertise normative beliefs of physicians and older adults toward PA for older adults

46. Possible Social Norms message: • Most Physicians in Sometown strongly approve of regular exercise for older adults. • Most seniors in Sometown believe staying PA is important. • Here are typical ways Sometown seniors stay active: • Attend water aerobics at YMCA • Walk the mall with mall walkers group • Engage in 20-30 minutes of yard and house work • Participate in movement classes at community center