Schroeder & Prentice, 1998: Learning how drinking could be uncomfortable for other students decreased alcohol intake among first-year undergraduatesover four to six months
Reference:
Schroeder, C. M., & Prentice, D. A. (1998). Exposing Pluralistic Ignorance to Reduce Alcohol Use Among College Students 1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(23), 2150-2180.
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First-year undergraduates who took part in a dorm discussion in which they learned how students can be less comfortable with drinking than they seem, as compared to students who took part in a discussion focused on making responsible decisions (“just say no”), reported drinking less 4-6 months later, with the greatest effects for students who were less comfortable drinking than they perceived others to be and yet feared negative evaluations from others. Thus, the intervention seemed to sever a perceived link between drinking and social acceptance.
Psychological Process:
Need
Need to BelongWhat Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
To Feel Connected, Included, Respected, and Valued by OthersApproach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Link Belonging to a Behavior or Attitude to Motivate Positive ChangeHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Are social norms that contribute to negative behaviors accurate or valid?Are social norms that contribute to negative behaviors accurate or valid?Changing beliefs about social norms to motivate positive behaviorsPsychological Question Addressed
Are social norms that contribute to negative behaviors accurate or valid?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Health
Intervention Technique:
Prompting with information