Research has shown that college students consume more alcohol than same-aged non-college students. This data has led to the development of many interventions to reduce heavy drinking in college-aged populations. One of these interventions is personalized norm feedback (PNF). College students typically overestimate their peers’ alcohol consumption which may cause some to conform to these perceived norms. PNF works to correct these misconceptions to align perceptions with actual behavior of the broader college population. This intervention reiterates to heavy drinkers that they tend to drink more than their peers and that they overestimate the actual levels of drinking among their peer group. This study examines the impact of induced attitude ambivalence on the relationship between PNF and heavy drinking among college students.
The study’s sample consisted of 338 college students. Participants completed a baseline survey that assessed perceived drinking norms and drinking behavior, social motives, expectancies, and evaluations of the social effects of alcohol. Students were then randomly assigned to high or low ambivalence groups. The ambivalence manipulation was checked using a series of questions measuring ambivalence. Following this, all participants received the PNF intervention. Lastly, participants were asked when they plan to consume alcohol in the next 30 days and how many drinks they plan to consume. Data was analyzed using a generalized linear models.
Results of the data analysis showed that there was a significant effect of ambivalence. Participants in the high ambivalence group intended to drink fewer drinks at one time in the future compared to those in the low ambivalence group. No interactions between gender and ambivalence were identified. Both males and females in the high ambivalence condition intended to drink fewer drinks at their next drinking event compared to males and females in the low ambivalence condition.
Takeaway: Attitude ambivalence may impact the effectiveness of personalized norm feedback interventions for reducing heavy drinking among college students.