Master of Science / Department of Psychological Sciences / Laura A. Brannon / Previous research has repeatedly demonstrated that undergraduate students overrate others’ norm comfort with and consumption of alcohol (i.e., Prentice & Miller, 1993). This is a dangerous misperception, as students are increasing their personal alcohol intake and / or frequency in order to match their incorrect perception of how much everyone else is drinking. Already assuming that their peers are more comfortable with, and consume more, alcohol than they do, college students’ perception of norm alcohol use may be influenced by peer comments indicating approval / disapproval of alcohol use. Thus, the present study experimentally tested whether a positive or negative comment in reaction to a portrayal of excessive drinking would influence participants’ perceptions of drinking behavior among their campus peers, and whether the sex of the person making the comment differentially influences participants’ perceptions of each sex’s extent of participation in drinking. Participants’ perceptions of drinking behavior were not influenced by the confederate comment nor confederate sex; however, participants consistently estimated that the drinking norm is higher for males than females. Additionally, female participants perceived the drinking norm to be higher than did male participants. Participants’ ratings of the confederates did differ, however, depending on the comment; participants rated the confederates more favorably when the comment made was negative / criticizing of excessive drinking than when the comment made was positive / endorsing of excessive drinking.

Consuming alcohol can affect the mental and physical health, lead toaddiction and affect the development of the brain before the age of 25.Nevertheless binge drinking remains a widespread problem amongstuniversity students. Drinking norms in people's surroundings can affect theirdrinking habits. This study aims to understand why students consume alcohol and the apprehension of the drinking norm on a campus by doing semi-structured interviews with eight students who are living on a campus. The data is analysed through Theory of Planned behaviour and the focal pointsare injunctive, descriptive norms and associations. The result shows thatcampus students consume alcohol because they think it is fun, it helps themsocialize and to avoid or let go of stressful things and negative thoughts. Wecan interpret from the interviews that the drinking norm on campus is thatstudents are expected to drink alcohol at social events. The result also showsthat students tend to value the positive effects of drinking alcohol more thanthe negative consequences. The interviewed students had more mutualpositive associations towards drinking than mutual negative associationswhich implies that drinking norms affects drinking habits and associationstowards drinking.