Knowledge of the reasons that young adults choose to smoke and drink are very important when it comes to creating effective interventions, such as efforts on college campuses to reduce these behaviors. A study surveyed first year students on their ideas of norms and attitudes towards smoking cigarettes and using alcohol.
This survey measured the students’ attitudes towards behaviors such as using tobacco and alcohol by showing them a variety of images and having the participants indicate whether they “liked” or “disliked” each item. The survey also measured the participants’ cognitive accessibility of norms by presenting them with descriptions of important people in their lives and having them indicate whether this person would approve of a variety of behaviors. Response times were recorded to measure the ease of activating a response, as well as the responses themselves.
The results of this study indicated that for smoking and alcohol consumption in first year college students, cognitive accessibility of attitudes and norms predicts intentions of both alcohol use and smoking. Students who responded quickly to drinking and smoking attitudes and norms were more likely to intend to engage in smoking and drinking, as well as those who quickly identified that their friends approved of these behaviors.
Overall this study shows attitudes and ideas of norms can predict drinking and smoking behaviors in first year college students. More research could potentially make connections between these attitudes and norms towards these behaviors and how they are formed to further develop alcohol and tobacco prevention efforts on college campuses.
Take Away: First year college students who can quickly identify that they like items associated with using alcohol and/or tobacco as well as those who believe that their friends approve of use of these substances are more likely to intend to use alcohol and tobacco.