Developing effective norm corrective messages for fraternity and sorority members: Greek culture identification and alcohol-related digital media engagement as predictors of excess drinking and bystander intervention

Marianna Wheatley

An important risk factor for heavy drinking of alcohol and its consequences within college student populations is involvement in a fraternity or sorority. Fraternity and sorority members drink more frequently, more heavily, and experience more alcohol-related problems during college than their non-Greek peers. Targeting normative beliefs is a popular strategy on American college campuses for addressing this issue. Researchers investigating the relative effectiveness of norms-based messaging for alcohol abuse and risk prevention have found that students' identity with a specific referent group is directly associated with their perceived norms for drinking in that group and their own drinking. In addition, researchers have found that college student engagement with alcohol-related digital media is associated with problem drinking. This study concentrated on Greek students' behaviors and beliefs about alcohol consumption, looking specifically at how group identification (Greek culture identification) and alcohol-related digital media engagement might predict norms held about excess drinking and bystander intervention in situations involving alcohol. In the fall 2012, 247 fraternity members and 404 sorority members at a large northwestern university responded to an online survey designed to measure Greek culture identification, alcohol-related digital media use, positive and negative behaviors associated with alcohol use, and estimations of their peers' behaviors associated with alcohol use. Results from hierarchical regressions provided support for the integrative model of behavioral prediction. Specifically, Greek culture identification, alcohol-related digital media use, attitude, collective norms, and self-efficacy were associated with males' beliefs about the consequences of excess drinking. All of these predictors were significant for females except self-efficacy. In regard to bystander intervention in situations involving alcohol, Greek culture identification and collective norms were the only variables associated with males' beliefs, whereas alcohol-related digital media use, attitude, and collective norms were associated with females' beliefs. Evidence from the current study supported the use of culture and media variables as aids to inform the development of prevention programs that are effective within this community. These results suggest future research on alcohol abuse prevention in the Greek community should include strategies that integrate Greek culture identification and alcohol-related digital media use.

Developing effective norm corrective messages for fraternity and sorority members: Greek culture identification and alcohol-related digital media engagement as predictors of excess drinking and bystander intervention

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