Social Norms Theory

Social norms theory (SNT; A. D. Berkowitz, 2003, 2005; Perkins, 2003) had its start with research in the 1980s by Perkins and Berkowitz, who found that col-lege students typically had exaggerated beliefs around the drinking habits and consumption of other students and that these misperceptions were at significant vari-ance with actual drinking patterns and consumption norms. The social norms approach to prevention of excessive AOD consumption is to correct these mis­ perceptions in order to reduce extreme drinking. SNT is generally based on social learning theory and, more specifically, theory of planned behavior and reasoned action theory (Myers, 2006).

SNT holds that subjective norms, or the perceived expectations of others or of peer groups

An even more problematic aspect of adherence to perceived social norms is the widespread belief among some youth that it is the norm to claim allegiance to gang membership.

Social norms include a broad array of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, including cultural traditions, community standards and mores, customs, shared beliefs, and common behavioral patterns (Ferris State University, 2008). The power of social norms is that they influence people in either unhealthy or healthy ways. For example, if we perceive that most people care about others, we are more likely to care about others and treat others in a positive way. If we perceive that most people drink heavily, use drugs, and pick fights at parties, we are likely to do the same.

SNT offers an intervention approach based on the following features of social norm marketing:

• Actions are often based on misinformation about or misperceptions of the attitudes and/ or behaviors of others.

• When social norm misperceptions are inter-preted as real, they reinforce the behavior that is adopted around these misperceptions.

• There is often a passive acceptance of these misperceptions with little effort to change