How acceptable are intoxicated behaviors? Discrepancy between personal versus perceived approval

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Substance Use Research

Background:

• College students often binge drink and perceive higher peer approval for drinking behaviors than their own.
• Existing research on drinking norms inadequately addresses perceptions of intoxicated behaviors.
• This study investigates self-other differences (SODs) in the approval of intoxicated behaviors among college students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if college students exhibit self-other differences (SODs) regarding approval of intoxicated behaviors.
• To examine if gender and race/ethnicity moderate these SODs.
• To test hypotheses predicting greater perceived peer approval of intoxicated behaviors compared to personal approval.

Main Methods:

• 233 undergraduate students from a large northeastern university completed online surveys.
• Surveys assessed demographics, personal approval, and perceived peer approval of various intoxicated behaviors.
• Self-other differences (SODs) were calculated for each behavior.

Main Results:

• Students perceived significantly higher peer approval than personal approval for 42 out of 44 intoxicated behaviors.
• Women exhibited higher SODs than men, with differences in personal approval.
• Non-white students showed higher SODs than white students, differing in both personal and perceived peer approval.

Conclusions:

• Consistent self-other differences (SODs) were found in the approval of intoxicated behaviors.
• Findings highlight potential normative pressures, especially for non-white students.
• Results can inform normative feedback interventions aimed at correcting misperceptions of drinking behaviors.