A failed norms social marketing campaign.
OBJECTIVE
In this article we test the efficacy of an intensive norms social marketing campaign to reduce heavy drinking among college students living in a residence hall.


METHODS
We employed a pretest-posttest nonequivalent comparison group design. The study was conducted in two (experimental and comparison) comparable residence halls located in a large urban public university. We attempted a census at each hall, and pre- and postintervention data were collected in public areas of each residence hall. Relative sample sizes were approximately 60% in the experimental hall (both waves) and 38% in the comparison hall.


RESULTS
The campaign successfully corrected students' misperceptions of drinking norms but had no effects, or counterintuitive effects, on drinking behaviors.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the popularity of this approach, universities would be prudent to proceed with care before adopting this approach wholesale.
Clapp
John D
JD
School of Social Work, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California 92182-4119 USA. jdclapp@mail.sdsu.edu
Lange
James E
JE
Russell
Cristel
C
Shillington
Audrey
A
Voas
Robert B
RB
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D040241:Social Marketing; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*