How do I join the Social Norms Network Community?
I would like to inform you about a resource that MOST of Us has set up to help make your work a little easier. We invite you to partake in a simple, yet invaluable online experience by registering to join the Social Norms Network online community. At your request for additional modes of communication, we have established a free “virtual community” to help meet your needs. Becoming a member in the online community can facilitate a greater breadth of communication among us in order to achieve our vision of making our communities safe.
MOST of Us is now initiating this free "virtual community" that will allow social norms practitioners to discuss various issues and to view and comment on posters, radio and television commercials, etc. We look forward to interacting with all of you who have joined the listserv and invite you to now join the Social Norms Network "virtual community." This network will benefit all of you who are interested in the opportunity to form a unified community that benefits health promotion and the field of social norms. To join the Social Norms Network Community, go to Social Norms Network Community
The following list explains the basics of this user-friendly service and why it is so useful to register:
*Learning to use the online system is straightforward and uncomplicated.
*There is no intimidating listserv that includes unregistered people. The site is well protected and secure and is simply a way to increase communication among all of us involved in the Social Norms Network vision.
*This is a unified web community where everyone can easily share ideas with one another, i.e. constant electronic posts of topics related to social norms.
*This site was created so users can access the online community whenever convenient so that your email is not constantly bombarded with unwanted mail.
Becoming a member in the online community can easily facilitate a greater breadth of communication in order to achieve our vision of using social norms to keep people healthy and safe. Joining the online system will allow you to:
*Engage with colleagues who can help troubleshoot and provide technical assistance
*Discuss various issues by simply logging on and improve networking capabilities so that innovative ideas for projects can be shared
*Increase input on campaign efforts by being able to view, comment, and vote on posters, promotional items, and radio/television commercials
*Enable you to exchange ideas and work together over distance in ways that would be much more difficult-or impossible-if they were limited by other media
*Empower you to create your own content
*Implement community-wide announcements, event notification, or dynamic news in our online community
*Access the Network’s home on the Web from anywhere, easily update and customize, since this is platform independent
*Have a place on the Web where members can: post announcements, view photos, have discussions, make recommendations, share thoughts, and meet others with similar interests or questions
To register yourself for the Social Norms Network online community, follow these directions:
*Go online to this web address: communities.mostofus.org
*In the upper right hand corner of the title section at the top, click on the "Register" box.
*This will take you to the MOST of Us Communities-Registration Agreement Terms section.
*At the bottom of the section, click on "I Agree to these terms and am over or exactly 13 years of age."
*This will take you to "Registration Information."
*Enter your username, e-mail address, and password. Make a note of your entered choices.
*The next section of this same page is "Profile Information."
*Fill in what you can in this section, such as location, occupation, and interests.
*Then click "Submit" at the very bottom of the page, after the section of preset preferences.
*You are now officially registered.
In order to be able to use this resource to its fullest, here is a set of directions and tips to help you get the most out of your membership in the community:
Creating a message for all other coordinators to view
*Once you've submitted and are registered, go to the right hand box at the top section of the page and "Log in."
*From now on, when you wish to "Log in," all you will need to do is click "Log in" at the upper right hand corner at the top section of the opening page.
*Then, enter the same user name and password that you noted from the first time.
*In the “Forum” section, click on "Social Norms Network Community."
*In the "Topics" section, click on whatever you want to read or respond to.
*Just below the "Topic" section, you can click on the box that reads
"New Topic" if you would like to add something new.
*To add a new message, label the message topic at the top of the page and then fill in the message box with your message. Click "Submit" at the very bottom of the page when you are finished.
Creating a poll for other members to vote on your ideas, materials, etc.
* If you want to create a yes/no questionnaire that polls your colleagues on what they think of certain topics, you will have to go to the "New Topic" section. Please note that in order to create a poll, you must include a subject and a message. For example if you wanted to question your colleague's preferences for soda, you would type "Soda" at the "Subject" heading and then include a brief message in the box of your initiative.
* After the preliminary subject and message lines have been filled out, create a question in the box called "Poll Question." For example,
"Do you like soda?"
* Then click "Poll Option," and write in "Yes." Click "Poll Option" again and enter in "No."
* Push "Submit."
* If you want to ask an open-ended question such as "What's your favorite brand of soda?" you will have to create option boxes for each of the brands you want as a possible choice. For example, click "Poll Option" and write "Coke", then click "Poll Option" again and this time write "Pepsi". For each subsequent option you would like to give voters, you will have to click the "Poll Option" button and write in each brand separately.
*Finally click "Submit."
Creating your new user profile
*If at some point you want to add or change your user profile or add a picture of yourself that will show up in all your postings, click
"Profile" at the middle of the top section of the page.
*To add your picture click "Profile," then scroll down to the "Avatar Control Panel" section at the bottom of the page. You will need a digital picture of yourself on your computer that is no larger than 80 x 80 pixels.
*Click the "Browse" button that will allow you to navigate in order to find the picture file on your computer.
*If you would like to have your picture attached to your messages, but are not sure how to complete the above steps, please send a digital or a hard copy of yourself to MOST of Us and we will upload it for you.
*Please don't be afraid to experiment by filling in the boxes and submitting.
*If you encounter any problems or have any questions about joining the Social Norms Network "virtual" community, please do not hesitate to E-mail us at Social Norms Network .
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When will the next Montana Summer Institute for Social Norms Practitioners be held?
Click here for a 2006 Montana Summer Institute. Please visit MOST of Us Communities.
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How do I subscribe to the Social Norms Network Listserv?
The Social Norms Network Listserv has now become the MOST of Us Communities. Please go to communities.mostofus.org and register.
Instructions to subscribe to the Social Norms Network Listserv
So that correct e-mail addresses are registered to enable subscribers to post messages to the list, it is necessary for each user to first subscribe to the list. Subscription is a one-time task and is accomplished by sending an e-mail message to listserv@listserv.montana.edu. The message must contain the following text on the first two lines:
subscribe socialnormsnetwork
quit
The subject line is ignored by the list server. Please note that listserv is spelled with no final "e".
Example:
Mail to: listserv@listserv.montana.edu
Message: subscribe socialnormsnetwork
quit
The subscriber will receive a message confirming that the subscription has been processed. The message will contain instructions for posting to the list and signing off the list.
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No endorsement is intended or made of any hypertext link, product, service or information either by its inclusion or exclusion from this page or site. While all attempts are made to insure the correctness and suitability of information under our control and to correct any errors brought to our attention, no representation or guarantee can be made as to the correctness or suitability of that information or any other linked information presented, referenced or implied. All critical information should be independently verified. Any questions should be directed to the administrators of this or any other specific sites.
© 2002/2003. All contents are the property of MOST of Us. All rights reserved.
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Does social norms marketing work?
Health promotion research conducted over the past decade with youth and college students reveals that this is one method of delivering media-based prevention messages that is scientifically defensible. Although many other approaches have been popular such as the use of scare tactics, awareness weeks, and providing factual/educational information - these approaches have been ineffective for reducing risky behaviors associated with substance abuse. Social norms marketing, if done correctly, works.
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Why does social norms marketing work?
It works because people misperceive the prevalence of harmful behaviors associated with alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use around them. For example, youth think that there is much more acceptance and use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by their peers than is actually the case. If they misperceive the norms in the environment to be much more excessive than they really are, they have a tendency to drink, use drugs or tobacco to fit in with these "imaginary peers." When the true norms are perceived and kids realize that by not using tobacco or other drugs they are actually fitting in with the majority of their peers, they are given permission to belong by abstaining and being who they are.
A study conducted by Dr. Jeff Linkenbach and Dr. Wesley Perkins in early 1999 found that while only 29% of 18-24 year old males "binge" drank in the last two weeks, 99% of this peer group thought the average Montana male their age had "binge" drank in the past two weeks. (binge drinking is defined here as consuming 5+ drinks at one time). According to social norms theory, it is believed that misperceptions such as these lead to a greater adoption of risky behavior than would occur if the true norms of the peer group were understood and believed.
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How does social norms marketing work?
The process works by collecting data on the actual versus perceived behavioral norms. If there is an over-exaggeration of the true norms, then media materials and messages are developed to communicate the true norms that exist. By continuing to broadcast the true norms, the myth that everybody is doing it is slowly eroded away until the group realizes that MOST of Us are healthy and drug free. When this positive message is sustained for a year or two, the negative health behaviors of the group begin to shift downward to reflect the healthier majority behavior.
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How is success measured?
Behavioral and perception surveys are used to gauge where the target population is at in relation to actual participation in various alcohol, tobacco and other drug health risk behaviors and the perceptions which surround these. Surveys are performed at the onset of the campaign to assist with developing messages and establishing baseline data. Follow-up surveys are performed to measure progress towards a reduction in the misperceived norms and a resulting decline in self-reported risk behavior.
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Why do people misperceive norms?
People misperceive the accurate norms related to substance abuse for a lot of reasons. Some of these include the media, scare campaigns, conversation distortions that say everyone is doing it and selective memory of people using substances.
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What are the consequences of misperceiving norms?
A main consequence of not seeing the true picture of what is going on is that it may influence behavior in a negative fashion. If people think that everyone else is engaging a specific health risk behavior, and that it is accepted more than it actually is, then there is a greater likelihood of participating in this "false" behavior. By contrast, in those groups that accurately see lower substance abuse norms - we also see a lower prevalence of substance abuse behaviors.
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What if the target population doesn't believe the campaign?
It is expected, that the first year of any campaign will be met with resistance to giving up faulty perceptions of substance use norms. This resistance is expected since most people inaccurately view the substance use behaviors of their peers. However, with persistent marketing of the true majority norms of non-use, views and public conversation begin to change. Introducing any new "product" takes time to become accepted.
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What can we expect for outcomes?
Based on research, you should expect to measure a decrease in substance abuse within two years. At the end of an initial 6-month campaign period, you should see an increase in awareness of the campaign message. You should also expect to measure early indications of changes in perceptions that are more accurate.
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What about those people who under-perceive the norms?
The exaggerated belief that more people are using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs is quite pervasive. There are a small percentage of people who under-perceive the substance use norms of their peers. The more accurate social norms message would then raise their perceptions to a more accurate picture of the substance abuse scene around them. The small number that under perceive the true norms do so because they are often in social settings that communicate very strong anti-drug use messages. The accurate information is much more conservative than the messages that they would receive from their peers and the larger culture and should not over-ride the strong protective support that already exists in their lives.
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Does focusing on the positive just minimize the problem?
No. It is important to communicate the seriousness of substance abuse problems in conjunction with the fact that the majority of people do not use drugs. Honest communication is crucial. Over-exaggerating the norms of substance abuse may serve to stir up concern but it does nothing to help reduce use. Reducing substance use comes from de-normalizing the role of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in society.
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Don't people just need more education and awareness?
Education about the harmful effects of drugs must continue to exist. However, data from the past few decades proves that education alone cannot change the behaviors (norms) of large numbers of people. People adapt to what they see as the acceptable behaviors around them. For example, if most teens think that most people are drug-free, then most will join this powerful majority.
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What if most people in a sub-population report alcohol, tobacco or other drug use?
There are always specific sub-populations that will report higher use rates than others. Different strategies exist for addressing these disparities. However, the same pattern of over-perceiving the actual norms still pervades. Therefore some strategies for addressing areas of higher use include:
1. Promoting norms of a larger surrounding culture that reflect the majority of people as non-users;
2. Focusing on broader support of reducing harm to self and others because even users are concerned about harm;
3. Utilizing sub-population specific messages that are narrowly targeted to the audience.
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What are social marketing techniques?
Social marketing is the process of applying basic marketing principles to social issues in order to create behavior change. In other words, social marketing is a blending of commercial marketing practices with social or health issues impacting the health of a population. Unlike commercial marketing which is primarily used to sell a product and benefit a company or individual, social marketing is performed for the purpose of benefiting a specific population and society in general.
Examples of social marketing techniques include but are not limited to using television, radio, print, billboard, promotional items, screensavers and other types of media to communicate messages that are tailored to the specific needs of a target population. Other means may be used such as contests, promotions and giveaways, much like what are seen in everyday life involving commercial products.
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I don't believe the majority of youth are abstaining from alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, how do you determine actual use?
When it comes to tobacco and illicit drug use, the majority of teens report non-use and non-experimentation with these substances. However, alcohol use does present a different case in that a small majority of teens report regular, irregular or experimentation with alcohol. What is pertinent to social norms marketing is that the perceptions surrounding regular, irregular and experimental use of alcohol by teens is distorted among teens themselves, parents and other adults.
It should not be surprising that if misperceptions exist among young adults in regards to their peer's use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, that these same misperceptions might exist with parents, teachers, the clergy, among others. A study entitled "Through the Looking Glass," (Lombardi, J. 1997) supported by the Rocky Mountain Development Council and funded through the Steele Reese Foundation, found that indeed, adult misperceptions of youth risk behaviors existed. In some cases, adults overestimated youth participation in risky behaviors by as much as 3 times.
A number of existing surveys provide risk data to establish appropriate baselines. Two of the more complete data sets used by the Social Norms Marketing Project are the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the Prevention Needs Assessment. Both of these surveys are supported by many school districts throughout Montana and represent a common frame of reference from which to operate youth-focused prevention initiatives.
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How much does a social norms marketing campaign cost?
This is not an easy question to answer because it can vary based upon a number of factors. Some of the factors that enter into the fiscal equation associated with social norms marketing include:
1. Size of the community and target population
2. How well you adhere to the process of social norms marketing
3. Type(s) of media selected
4. Intended dosage and saturation levels of media
5. Community involvement and use of "leveraged" resources within the community
A large campaign with sustained effort can carry a significant price tag. But what you should be focused on is the dollar-cost per person as measured through a reduction in the negative behavior you are attempting to address. If you only focus on the cost of the initiative, and continue to look at the process of social norms marketing from the same perspective as other educational methods, you will surely not get a program off the ground due to its initial "sticker shock."
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Can I develop a social norms marketing campaign that uses data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey?
Yes and No. Youth Risk Behavior Survey data can be useful in establishing a baseline of reported use statistics for youth in relation to selected health risk behaviors. It can also be used to formulate social normative-type messages. However, it should be thought of as only one-half the data equation necessary to perform social norms marketing. Social norms campaigns require the availability of "perceptions data" to determine if a disparity actually exists between the reported incidence of a risk behavior and the perceptions which surround participation in the behavior. Perceptions data will tell you how far off your target group is in relation to their beliefs associated with their peer group and involvement in certain risky behaviors. This is important, because social norm campaigns attempt to communicate the true norms to the target population in an effort to increase the number of individuals (within the target population) who are choosing to not engage the risky behavior. This is based on the premise that a proportion of the target population is engaging the risky behavior because they perceive it to be the norm of their group, and they are engaging the risky behavior as a means to fit in, or belong.
Perceptions data is also necessary to evaluate whether or not your social normative campaign is having the desired effect upon the target population, i.e., reducing the over-estimation of peer involvement in the risky behavior to more closely reflect the actual reported behavior (norm).
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What do you mean by the terms "dosage level" and "saturation level" when selecting media and placing campaign elements?
Research shows that it takes a certain minimum level of exposures to a message before an individual will begin to internalize the concepts provided within the message. In the Montana MOST of Us campaigns, we strive to achieve a total of 7 impressions to 85% of the target population over the course of a 4-week campaign.
A metaphor for looking at the concept of dosage and effectiveness is when a physician gives a patient a prescription for an antibiotic and informs them to be sure to take the medication for 10 days total, even if they begin to feel better after only three days on the medication. Why? Because the full course of medication is necessary to achieve the desired effect, which is the elimination of the bacterial infection causing the illness. If the patient does not take the recommended dosage, the bacterial infection may recur and the treatment will not have worked. The same concept of dosage holds true for social norms marketing campaigns. In other words, campaigns of this nature need to obtain adequate reach of the target population, be delivered with a sufficient frequency and over duration of time that promotes and sustains longer-term behavior change.
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I have heard you use the terms "The Science of the Positive" over the last several years. Why do you use this term instead of social norms?
I have received some phone calls over the past few months from people wanting to know why I began using the term "The Science of the Positive" instead of "social norms theory." The answer is that I use both terms but for different audiences.
Background-- In 2001, I started using "The Science of the Positive" to describe the type of work that we are doing at Montana State University. We had noticed that some of what we were doing was somewhat distinct from traditional social norms theory (data, misperceptions, intervention, etc..) and we needed a way to describe our work.
The way that it came about was that back in the Fall of 2001, I was talking to a community group and tried to describe "social norms theory" and several of the participants made comments about how social norms sounded like some social engineering plot and they were not interested. I then talked to them about "the science of the positive" and using data to capture the assets and goodness in their youth populations and build upon their already existant programs and then their eyes light up.
Since that time have come to use the term "the science of the positive" in many of our publications, our web site and other communications because it markets better to some audiences than does the term social norms theory. It is important to continue to use "social norms" when interacting with our professional colleagues but I typically use "Science of the Positive" when someone is not familiar with the professional jargon. The science of the positive also seems to lend itself to being broader in terms of application to many strategies beyond marketing which is typically associated with social norms.
Jeff Linkenbach
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How do I get my school involved with the Youth Web Survey?
In order to begin the Youth Web Survey process, please contact Valerie Roche by e-mai (vroche@montana.edu) or call her at 406-994-7873. Schools that wish to participate in the spring survey must contact MOST of Us by December.
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How must does the Youth Web Survey and Campaign cost?
In the past, MOST of Us has been able to offer the survey free of charge to Montana schools. This was possible due to the underwriting of the YWS project by the Montana Department of Transportation. Future grant funding is unknown, but MOST of Us will work with schools to make the survey as cost-efficient as possible. Schools must also purchase campaign package materials. In the past, community grants have been used to fund campaigns at each school. Again, MOST of Us provides schools with technical assistance in order to choose a campaign package that fits within any budgetary restraints.
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Can schools outside of Montana participate in the Youth Web Survey?
Yes. Contact Hillary Guilford at (406) 994-5689 or by e-mail at hguilford@montana.edu for information about the project as well as an outline of costs for your school.
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Our school wants to take the Youth Web Survey, but we already have programming for substance use prevention. What other issues can the YWS target?
Some other issues that the survey is currently constructed around are violence, seatbelt use, and bike safety. However, MOST of Us is also exploring survey options in the area of dating and relationship violence. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have other suggestions for pertinent issues.
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