Reign of Error Part II: National pattern of misperception prevails at Chico

Note: In “Reign of Error Part I,” Walt Schafer discussed the research on students’ misperceptions about drinking. In this week’s article, he discusses the social norming approach being used at more than 2,000 colleges and universities.

Data from CADEC’s random-sample survey in spring 2001 shows that the national pattern of overperception prevails here as well. Survey respondents were asked how many drinks Chico State students in general consume at parties and bars. When these reports are compared with how many all respondents in fact reported drinking, a clear pattern of overperception appears. This perception-reality gap holds for drinking patterns among males and females, fraternity and sorority members, students living on and off campus, and athletes.

It is noteworthy that respondents hold the most accurate images of drinking by fraternity members—and that the actual amount of drinking reported by fraternity members is the highest of all subgroups. For example, fraternities are perceived by the total sample to average 8.63 drinks at parties and bars, while fraternity members themselves report averaging 8.13 drinks.

The tendency to overperceive peers’ drinking is greatest among freshmen, then declines year by year the longer students are here. The same survey shows that Chico State students also tend to overestimate peers’ tolerance of heavy drinking. For example, three times more students believe that others agree with the statement that “frequently getting drunk is okay if that’s what a person wants to do” than actually agree with it. Substantially more students report they know of and approve campus rules and regulations regarding alcohol and drugs than others believe to be the case. Conversely, three times more students are believed to know of and oppose those rules and regulations than actually do.

The “Did You Know?” campaign is designed to reduce underage and high-risk drinking by correcting these wide-spread misperceptions. By focusing especially on freshmen over the next several years, the intent is gradually to build a student culture in which alcohol is less central to having a good time. In this way, we hope to reduce the false belief that student heavy drinking is more prevalent than it really is.

The social norms approach is being used at more than 2,000 U.S. colleges and universities. The theory on which it is based recently was cited by The New York Times as one of the 80 most influential ideas of the past year. (One of the originators of the social norms approach, Dr. David Craig of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, is a 1971 chemistry graduate of CSU, Chico.)

The social norms approach is the single most effective strategy yet discovered for reducing high-risk drinking on American campuses. For example, social norms campaigns have produced a 44 percent reduction in high-risk drinking over 10 years at Northern Illinois University, a 28 percent reduction over five years at the University of Arizona, a 50 percent reduction over five years at Washington State University, a 20 percent reduction over three years at Western Washington University, and a 40 percent reduction over four years at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

CSU, Chico trends will continue to be carefully tracked, and progress reports will be issued based on surveys in spring 2002 and spring 2003.

As we have noted, student alcohol consumption at CSU, Chico is higher than at many other campuses. Even so, most students overestimate their peers’ drinking—and this “reign of error” is likely to be a major contributor to student drinking.

It is likely that many of us share and transmit the same over- perceptions of student drinking patterns. We tend to be influenced by selective media focus on “negative differences” while ignoring “positive patterns.” Our overperceptions also are part of the problem.

It is the responsible and moderate behavior of students that the “Did You Know?” program seeks to encourage and increase through re-adjusting students’ perceptions— and our own—about drinking.

Walt Schafer, professor emeritus of sociology and assistant to the president on alcohol issues