Rowan University
23% Reduction over 5 Semesters

Project Description

Rowan University is a selective, medium-sized state university located in Glassboro, New Jersey, part way between Philadelphia and Atlantic City. The University enrolls more than 9,500 students who represent the mid-Atlantic states and 30 foreign countries.

Project Funding Source

Principal funding for this project is from a grant provided by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

Project Objective

To communicate the actual drinking norms of students at Rowan to the university community through various media and other activities in order to alter students' perceptions and, consequently, to positively affect their behavior.

Baseline Data

Baseline data was gathered in spring semester 1998 using the Core Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms. The survey was administered in general education and upper-level classes in the communications and psychology departments (n = 443). Key findings were:

• Students perceived that their peers' rate of drinking was significantly more than it actually was: while 48% of students reported heavy-episodic drinking (five drinks in a row) in the two weeks prior to completing the survey, the perception was that 63% of students drank in this way. Thus, the perceived rate overestimated the actual campus drinking norm by 15 percentage points.
• Most students drank alcohol once a week, but the perceived norm for drinking was three times per week.
• Most male students drank once a week, but the perceived norm for male drinkers was three times a week.
• Most female students drank twice a month, but the perceived norm for female drinkers was once a week.

Sample Normative Messages

Various normative messages regarding the actual campus drinking norms have been used during the course of the campaign. They include:

• Binge drinking is not the "NORM" at Rowan.
• 55.5% of Rowan University students drink only twice a month or less.
• 52.9% of Rowan University students have 3 drinks or less while at a party or bar.
• 93.1% of Rowan University students feel that occasionally drinking is okay as long as it doesn't interfere with academics.
• The typical number of drinks a person has at a party is 3.68.

Marketing Methods Employed

A wide variety of methods were employed to communicate the actual drinking norms to Rowan students. They included:

• Posters
• Flyers
• Weekly ads in the student newspaper
• Student radio spots

In addition, a number of promotional items with normative messages were distributed to students. Such items included balloons, pens, Frisbees, highlighters, and magnets.

Furthermore, print and radio contests were held during which incentives were awarded to those who were able to accurately state the campus drinking norm.

Evaluation

Evaluation data is based on the Core Campus Survey of Alcohol and Other Drug Norms administered at the start of the second semester in 1999 (n = 514), 2000 (n = 494), and 2001 (n = 453).

Project Results

Message saturation: Survey data revealed a significant increase, from pre-test to post-test, in the percentage of students who reported either seeing or hearing normative messages about the actual drinking rates of Rowan students. The data clearly indicate increasing saturation over time; for example, the percentage of students who reported seeing media concerning campus drinking rates ten times or more increased from 2 percent (at baseline) to 15 percent (in 1999), 20 percent (in 2000), and 27 percent (in 2001).

Change in Perception: During the study period there was a continuous decrease in the percentage of students perceived to be heavy-episodic drinkers. After five semesters of the social norms media campaign there was a 24 percent decrease in the misperception of the campus drinking norm.

Change in Behavior: During the study period there was a continuous decrease in the percentage of students who self-reported as heavy-episodic drinkers. After five semesters of the social norms media campaign there was an 11 percentage point decline in the self-reported rate of heavy-episodic drinking. This translates into a 23 percent reduction in heavy episodic drinking.

Projector Staff

Linda R. Jeffrey, Ph.D., Director
Center for Addiction Studies
Rowan University
856.256.4874
Fax: 856.769.0960
Email: ljeffrey@comcast.net

Pamela Negro, M.S.W., CADC
Social Norms Project Coordinator
Center for Addiction Studies
Rowan University
856.256.4527
Fax: 856.256.4423
Email: Negro@Rowan.edu

DeMond Miller, Ph.D., Director
Liberal Arts and Sciences Institute
Rowan University
856.256.4524
Fax: 856.256.4423
Email: Millerd@Rowan.edu

Further Information

See:
Jeffrey, L. R., P. Negro, D. S. Miller, and J. Frisone, "The Rowan University Social Norms Project," in The Social Norms Approach to Preventing School and College Age Substance Abuse: A Handbook for Educators, Counselors, and Clinicians. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass (2003).

**Portions of the information presented on this page were originally prepared by Michael Haines and Richard Rice and are printed here with their permission.