Evaluating level of specificity of normative referents in relation to personal drinking behavior.
OBJECTIVE
Research has found perceived descriptive norms to be one of the strongest predictors of college student drinking, and several intervention approaches have incorporated normative feedback to correct misperceptions of peer drinking behavior. Little research has focused on the role of the reference group in normative perceptions. The current study sought to examine whether normative perceptions vary based on specificity of the reference group and whether perceived norms for more specific reference-group norms are related to individual drinking behavior.


METHODS
Participants were first-year undergraduates (n = 1,276, 58% female) randomly selected from a university list of incoming students. Participants reported personal drinking behavior and perceived descriptive norms for eight reference groups, including typical student; same gender, ethnicity, or residence; and combinations of those reference groups (e.g., same gender and residence).


RESULTS
Findings indicated that participants distinguished among different reference groups in estimating descriptive drinking norms. Moreover, results indicated misperceptions in drinking norms were evident at all levels of specificity of the reference group. Additionally, findings showed perceived norms for more specific groups were uniquely related to participants' own drinking.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that providing normative feedback targeting at least one level of specificity to the participant (i.e., beyond what the "typical" student does) may be an important tool in normative feedback interventions.
Larimer
Mary E
ME
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. larimer@u.washington.edu
Kaysen
Debra L
DL
Lee
Christine M
CM
Kilmer
Jason R
JR
Lewis
Melissa A
MA
Dillworth
Tiara
T
Montoya
Heidi D
HD
Neighbors
Clayton
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D012925:Social Conformity; D012931:Social Environment; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data