title: Normative perceptions of alcohol-related consequences among college students.
abstract: College students in the U.S. continue to drink in hazardous ways and experience a range of alcohol-related consequences. Personalized feedback interventions (PFIs), which often include normative components comparing personal drinking to that of similar peers, have been effective in reducing alcohol outcomes among college students. Though normative perceptions of the quantity and frequency of alcohol use have been examined in many studies, norms for alcohol-related consequences have received less attention. The current study examined self-other discrepancies (SODs) for alcohol-related consequences among college students. Participants overestimated how often alcohol-related consequences are experienced by other same-sex students on campus and rated consequences as more acceptable for others to experience than themselves. No differences in SODs were found between those who did and did not report alcohol use. Future studies should examine the efficacy of PFIs that incorporate normative feedback on alcohol-related consequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States. Electronic address: embrett1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Emma I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Brett
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States.
authors.forename: Eleanor L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Leavens
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Providence, RI, United States.
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States.
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States.
authors.forename: Thad R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Leffingwell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000067292:Alcohol Drinking in College / Q000523:psychology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D066262:Social Norms; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; College drinking; Consequences; Normative perceptions