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Here are a number of web-based resources that provide useful information for those using the social norms approach to promote health and wellness.


The Alcohol Education Project
This site, based at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, provides an extensive collection of education and research initiatives designed to better inform students and school and college personnel about alcohol and other drugs and to address problems of abuse. Co-directors of the project are Drs. H. Wesley Perkins and David Craig. Among the topics covered are:

  • Consultation/Dissemination for Higher Education
  • Secondary Education Initiative and Support
  • Social Norms Surveys Online
  • Social Norms 101 Primer
  • MVP (Most Valuable Player) Athlete Project
  • Campaign to Reduce Misperceived Norms
  • Posters and Poster Campaign
  • Web-based Normative Message Campaign
  • Use of Electronic Multimedia in a Social Norms Prevention Program

Social Norms 101 Primer
Provides a wealth of information for those who are new to this approach and seek to gain a better undersanding of the underlying theory and its application to health promotion. Contents include:
  • Explanation of the Theory of the Social Norms Approach
  • Brief Introductory Articles
  • Guide to Marketing Social Norms for Health Promotion in Schools and Communities
  • College Social Norms Study
  • The Methods and Pitfalls of Intervention Assessment
  • 2002 College Review of the Literature
  • Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography


The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention (HEC): Social Norms and Social Marketing
Presents an extensive collection of information and resources on the social norms approach and social marketing.
Contents include:

  • "The Social Norms Approach: Theory and Research," by Alan Berkowitz, Ph.D.
  • Frequently Asked Questions about social norms and social marketing
  • References and Resources (HEC publications, web sites, etc.)
  • Descriptive listing of campuses with social norms interventions
  • Discussion of research and evaluation of Social Norms Campaigns
  • Application of the social norms approach to violence
  • Description of the Education Development Center's (EDC) Social Norms Marketing Campaign

National Social Norms Institute
The University of Virginia, a national leader in alcohol and substance abuse education, established the National Social Norms Institute to conduct ongoing research into the effectiveness of social norms methodology to combat high-risk drinking among students. The purpose of the National Social Norms Institute is to research, evaluate and disseminate information on the social norms methodology to the field.


Social Norms Research Centre (United Kingdom)
The aim of the Social Norms Research Centre (UK) is to promote the investigation of the social norms approach in the United Kingdom.


The BACCHUS Network
The BACCHUS Network is an international association of college and university-based peer education programs focusing on alcohol abuse prevention and other student health and safety issues.


Social Norms Surveys Online
The web-based surveys of the Alcohol Education Project have been designed to support social norms programming in college and secondary school environments. Specific college student athlete and Greek surveys are available to support sub-population programming. Web surveys provide a secure, low cost, rapid data collection solution for social norms programming that provides for greater accuracy through real-time validation. Students can complete surveys in 10-15 minutes.

Information provided on this site includes:

  • Examples of results from surveys that have been administered
  • Sample surveys
  • Discussion of how to use these surveys in your program


Youth Health & Safety: The Social Norms Approach
Provides detailed information about gathering credible data and the applicability of the social norms approach to an array of youth health and safety issues, such as:

  • Alcohol and Drug Misuse
  • Weight Norms
  • Bullying Behaviors


MOST of Us
Most of Us is a research project in the Department of Health and Human Development at Montana State University-Bozeman that strives to produce social change through a variety of innovative, science-based methods.