title: On the Effectiveness of Social Norms Intervention in College Drinking: The Roles of Identity Verification and Peer Influence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The application of social norms theory in the study of college drinking centers on the ideas that incorrect perceptions of drinking norms encourage problematic drinking behavior and that correcting misperceptions can mitigate problems. The design and execution of social norms interventions can be improved with a deeper understanding of causal mechanisms connecting misperception to drinking behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  We develop an agent-based computational simulation that uses identity control theory and peer influence (PI) to model interactions that affect drinking. Using data from the College Alcohol Survey and Social Norms Marketing Research Project, we inform model parameters for agent drinking identities and perceptions. We simulate social norms campaigns that reach progressively larger fractions of the student population, and we consider the strength of the campaign in terms of changing student perception and resulting behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observe a general reduction in heavy episodic drinking (HED) as students are affected by the intervention. As campaigns reached larger fractions of students, the reduction rate diminishes, in some cases actually making a slight reverse. The way in which students "take the message to heart" can have a significant impact as well: The psychological factors involved in identity control and PI have both positive and negative effects on HED rates. With whom agents associate at drinking events also impacts drinking behavior and intervention effectiveness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simulations suggest that reducing misperception can reduce HED. When agents adhere strongly to identity verification and when misperceptions affect identity appraisals, social norms campaigns can bring about large reductions. PI, self-monitoring, and socializing with like-drinking peers appear to moderate the effect.
authors.affiliation: Tempest Technologies, Los Angeles, California.|Department of Mathematics, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Ben G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.affiliation: Tempest Technologies, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Tempest Technologies, Los Angeles, California.|Department of Mathematics, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4940-9638
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polidan
authors.affiliation: Tempest Technologies, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Ekaterini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angelis
mesh_terms: D000067292:Alcohol Drinking in College / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D000067074:Peer Influence; D012933:Social Identification; D066262:Social Norms; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities
keywords: Agent-Based Model; College Drinking; Identity Control Theory; Peer Influence; Social Norms Theory