Why Do Kids Drink? The Role of Norms and Attitudes William B. Hansen, Ph.D. Tanglewood Research Greensboro, North Carolina

Norms Refers to two concepts: –How common a behavior is –How acceptable a behavior is Can be applied: –To an entire society –To generational, cultural, religious, and ethnic sub-groups within our society

The Prevalence of Drinking

The Frequency of Drinking

The Intensity of Drinking

Where Do We Gain Information about Norms? Multiple sources provide information and feedback –Social interaction (stories, jokes, observed behaviors, comments, criticism) –Entertainment Media (television, radio, movies, Internet) –Advertising Media (ads, product placements)

Normative Beliefs and Attitudes What an individual perceives to be the case about their reference group Is often naïve, biased, and incorrect Ultimately shapes behavior of the individual and the group

Remember Prevalence?

How Do Different Groups of Drinkers Estimate Prevalence?

How Do Different Groups of Drinkers View Social Acceptability?

Sample School-Based Norm Norm Setting Programs All Stars (Hansen/Tanglewood Research) Life Skills Training (Botvin/National Health Promotion Associates) Project ALERT (Ellickson/RAND & Best Foundation) Project Northland (Perry/University of Minnesota)

Educational Strategies for Establishing Conventional Norms Collect information from individuals Calculate actual prevalence of use Portray actual attitudes about use Provide believable and persuasive feedback Encourage the group to actively adopt conventional norms

Adolescent Alcohol Prevention Trial Results

Norm Setting Conclusions Education programs –can help establish conventional norms about alcohol (but cannot do it all) –need periodic and continual reinforcement to have lasting effects Community programs –social interaction, educational media and advertising create a constant background against which programs compete –basic system-wide changes in norms can have large and lasting effects