Overestimation of peer drinking: error of judgement or methodological artefact?

Abstract

Social norms research and related health promotion programmes that seek to reduce the extent of overestimation of peer drinking norms are heavily reliant upon multiple-target drinking questionnaires. The use of such a questionnaire may lead to more distorted or extreme perceptions being reported by pupils compared to single-target versions, which omit self-referent drinking items. By implication, use of multiple-target questionnaires may encourage young people to 'over-overestimate' peer drinking norms.

Perceived Peer Drinking Norms and Responsible Drinking in UK University Settings

“…We found a significant association between the two, but from this we cannot conclude that normative perceptions drive drinking behavior. It is likely that this relationship between perceptions of drinking norms and usual drinking habits may be at least partly accounted for by participants' own drinking habits influencing their perceptions of what other students drink (Pape, 2011;Melson, Davies, & Martinus, 2011). If the relationship between perceived campus norms and personal drinking habits is modest (as shown in this study), the impact of altering campus norms may be minimal.…”

A systematic review of the Alcohol norms literature: A focus on context

“…Indeed, it may be asserted that by asking these questions, the researchers may have, in fact, signalled to the participants that variance in estimations would be expected across these contexts (c.f. Melson, Davies, & Martinus, 2011). Such a possibility would be in line with signalling effects (Davies & Best, 1996).…”

The influence of groups and alcohol consumption on individual risk-taking

“…Such successful outcomes of normative feedback interventions are promising. With the aim of reducing potentially harmful risky behaviours in drinking contexts, is it therefore important to 6 It is important to note that recent work has discussed the role of social drinking norms as potentially a methodological artefact due to largely used questionnaires open to desirable responding and extreme perceptions (c.f., Melson, Monk, & Heim, 2016;Melson, Davies, & Martinus, 2011) increase our understanding of the injunctive and normative beliefs associated with alcohol-related risk-taking.…”