Predicting negative drinking consequences: examining descriptive norm perception.

Abstract

Objective: This study explored how much variance in college student negative drinking consequences is explained by descriptive norm perception, beyond that accounted for by student gender and self-reported alcohol use.

Method: A derivation sample (N=7565; 54% women) and a replication sample (N=8924; 55.5% women) of undergraduate students completed the Campus Alcohol Survey in classroom settings.

Results: Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that student gender and average number of drinks when "partying" were significantly related to harmful consequences resulting from drinking. Men reported more consequences than did women, and drinking amounts were positively correlated with consequences. However, descriptive norm perception did not explain any additional variance beyond that attributed to gender and alcohol use. Furthermore, there was no significant three-way interaction among student gender, alcohol use, and descriptive norm perception.

Conclusions: Norm perception contributed no significant variance in explaining harmful consequences beyond that explained by college student gender and alcohol use.