College students report greater levels of drinking than any other age group in the United States. Over 49% of US college students report consuming alcohol in the past month. At the same time, over 27% of individuals report heavy alcohol use, which is associated with many adverse outcomes. Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are known to reduce alcohol consumption and the chance of an individual experiencing associated outcomes of alcohol use. Deviance regulation therapy (DRT) is a theory that focuses on the importance of identities, messaging, and social norms in one’s determination of whether they will partake in a particular behavior. It has been used to promote harm reduction. Fragile ego is a narcissistic trait and can lead some individuals to cope with alcohol. This study examined the extent to which DRT affects the association between narcissism and alcohol PBS use.
This study consisted of 130 students at a large Midwestern university and had three phases. Phase I was a screener, where individuals’ alcohol use, PBS use, and PBS norms were assessed as narcissism traits. Phase II, select participants attended intervention visits, where they reported PBS and alcohol use for every day of the past week. Phase III, predicants reported current PBD use norms, daily alcohol use, PBS use, and alcohol-related problems. Demographics, narcissism, PBS, alcohol use, and PBS norm frequency were all measured.
Overall, the study’s results suggested that messaging could be effective at reducing negative associations between narcissism and PBS for the most at-risk groups. Messaging was an intervention strategy used in this study. No significant differences were found among the mean or high levels of norms when it came to messaging reducing negative associations; only a difference was found in the most at-risk groups.
Takeaway: Messaging is an intervention that may be effective at reducing negative associations between narcissism and PBS for the most at-risk groups.