"Most Students …" is a new component of the PartySafe@Cal program being launched for Spring '08. PartySafe@Cal's mission is to reduce harm associated with drinking and parties around the campus area.

Download the poster here.

"Most Students…" targets Cal students and is based on the social norms approach. It aims to correct student misperceptions of norms related to drinking and its associated harms. Misperceptions can be overestimations of problem behavior as well as underestimations of healthy behavior. The most common misperception is when a majority of individuals falsely assume that they are a minority, i.e. college students who drink moderately or not at all. Social norms messages inform them that their behavior is actually more normative and healthy than they think. Heavy drinkers often incorrectly think that most other students are heavy drinkers, a misperception that allows them to justify their behavior and harm associated with it (Agostinelli & Miller, 1994; Pollard, et al. 2000).

Sometimes called the "reign of error", college students' perceptions of drinking norms have been shown to have a strong and predictive influence on their drinking behavior (Graham et al., 1991; Prentice & Miller, 1993). We are influenced more by what we think others do (the "perceived norm") than on their real actions (the "actual norm"). The gap between "perceived" and "actual" is a "misperception". Campuses that persistently communicate accurate social norms to students report experiencing significant decreases in high risk drinking behaviors. (NIAAA, p. 13. 2002).

During Spring '08, a variety of "Most Students" social norms messages will be delivered to students via posters, leaflets, cookies, newspapers, announcements and other media. Based on data from the California Safer Schools Survey, Fall '06, some of the social norms messages will include:

• Most of us (98%) won't get into trouble with police due to drinking or parties.
• Most of us (82%) don't miss class or get behind on schoolwork due to drinking.
• Most of us (62%) don't feel nauseated or vomit due to drinking.
• Most of us (85%) won't argue or fight with friends due to our drinking.
• Most us of overestimate how often and how much other students drink, including our close friends (see following tables).

How frequently do you think the following consume alcohol?

How many drinks do you think the following consume when at a party?

PartySafe@Cal uses multiple evidence-based, environmental strategies to achieve its mission. Evidence from the California Safer Schools Project demonstrates that, in fact, Cal students are drinking more moderately overall and that some measures of harm associated with student drinking and party settings are being reduced.

PartySafe@Cal is a program of University Health Services in collaboration with other campus and community organizations. For more information call 510-642-7202 or email partysafe@berkeley.edu.