Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2021 May;82(3):320-329.
Mass gathering events often involve high levels of substance use, yet the psychological predictors of substance use in these contexts have received minimal attention. This study examined the relationship between social norms and mass gathering attendees' anticipated substance use. We (a) tested this relationship while controlling for established predictors of substance use, (b) assessed longitudinally the impact of intraindividual changes in perceived substance use norms on intraindividual changes in participants' anticipated substance use, and (c) compared the relative impact of two normative referents (friends and typical mass gathering attendees).
Data were collected in situ at Schoolies (Australia's largest youth mass gathering). On Days 1, 3, and 5 of the 7-day festival, participants (N = 427; ages 16-19, 66% female) reported normative perceptions of drinking and drug taking among friends and other attendees, and indicated their own anticipated drinking and drug taking.
Friend norms were associated with anticipated drinking and drug taking at each corresponding time point, with particularly strong relationships observed for anticipated drinking. Changes in friend norms also predicted changes in anticipated drinking and drug taking. Conversely, the effects of norms for typical attendees were weak.
People's substance use at mass gatherings is particularly influenced by perceptions of friends' substance use. Friend norm perceptions change over time and dynamically influence young people's anticipated substance use in these high-risk settings. Interventions to reduce substance use at mass gatherings may be enhanced by correcting misperceptions of the normative behaviors of friends.
大型集会活动通常涉及高水平的物质使用，但这些情况下物质使用的心理预测因素却很少受到关注。本研究考察了社会规范与大型集会参与者预期物质使用之间的关系。我们(a) 在控制物质使用的既定预测因素的情况下检验了这种关系，(b) 纵向评估了感知物质使用规范的个体内变化对参与者预期物质使用的个体内变化的影响，以及(c) 比较了两个规范参照（朋友和典型的大型集会参与者）的相对影响。
在澳大利亚最大的青年大型集会 Schoolies 现场收集数据。在为期 7 天的节日的第 1、3 和 5 天，参与者（N=427；年龄 16-19 岁，66%为女性）报告了对朋友和其他参与者饮酒和吸毒的规范感知，并表示了自己的预期饮酒和吸毒。
朋友规范与每个相应时间点的预期饮酒和吸毒有关，特别是预期饮酒的关系更为密切。朋友规范的变化也预测了预期饮酒和吸毒的变化。相反，典型参与者规范的影响较弱。
人们在大型集会上的物质使用特别受到朋友物质使用观念的影响。朋友规范的感知随时间而变化，并在这些高风险环境中动态地影响年轻人对物质使用的预期。在大型集会中减少物质使用的干预措施可能会通过纠正对朋友规范行为的误解而得到加强。
