Questions:

1.  What does SNAPPY mean?
2.  What is the purpose of SNAPPY?
3.  Who is in charge of SNAPPY?
4.  How is SNAPPY funded?
5.  How did Wellesley and Needham become involved?
6.  How will SNAPPY work?
7.  What is social norms marketing?
8.  Why do students misperceive others’ behavior and attitudes?
9.  Is social norms marketing an effective strategy?

Answers:

Question: What does SNAPPY mean?
Answer: SNAPPY stands for "Social Norms Alcohol Problem Prevention for Youth."

Question: What is the purpose of SNAPPY?
Answer: SNAPPY is a three-year research study designed to address high-risk alcohol use and related problems among high school students. Two Massachusetts communities are involved in the project, Wellesley and Needham.

Question: Who is in charge of SNAPPY?
Answer: Dr. Linda Langford is the principal investigator on the project. She is an Associate Center Director at Education Development Center (EDC) in Newton, Mass, where SNAPPY is based. EDC is a nonprofit research and development organization with more than 325 different projects in diverse areas, including education, health, justice, literacy, and technology. For more information about EDC, visit their website at www.edc.org.

Question: How is SNAPPY funded?
Answer: SNAPPY is funded primarily through a federal grant to EDC from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Supplemental funding and in-kind contributions have been received from the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation and the Newton-Wellesley Hospital, both located in Massachusetts.

Question: How did Wellesley and Needham become involved?
Answer: In 2001, concerned community members approached EDC about the possibility of conducting this project. EDC staff and community members worked together to write the proposal for SNAPPY and were fortunate to receive funding. Each step of the project is conducted in consultation with a community advisory group, which includes school administrators, other school personnel, community members, law enforcement, parent, and student representatives.

Question: How does SNAPPY work?
Answer: Students from both high schools whose parents consent complete a voluntary, anonymous survey each October. The survey data is used to create a "social norms marketing" campaign, launched in Wellesley in the spring of 2003. Near the end of the project, Needham will also have a campaign based on Needham High School survey data.

Question: What is social norms marketing?
Answer: Social norms marketing is a strategy borrowed from recent college alcohol prevention efforts. This approach was created in response to a pattern observed in high school and college student survey data—that students consistently overestimate their peers’ actual alcohol use and attitudes supportive of high-risk drinking. This misperception that "everyone is doing it" is believed to influence students to drink more heavily. A social norms marketing campaign uses various media channels to inform students about the true levels of and attitudes about alcohol consumption among their peers. By focusing attention on the healthy behaviors of the majority of students, social norms campaigns aim to reduce perceived social pressure to drink and to support students’ healthy choices.

Question: Why do students misperceive others’ behavior and attitudes?
Answer: We all form some perceptions based on our own experiences, but many of our beliefs come from observing or hearing about others’ behavior. Naturally, many of the most memorable impressions relate to extreme behavior. For example, the few students that drink a lot at a party will typically attract more attention and discussion than students who did not drink or had one drink. So, the students’ sense of the number of students who were drinking may be affected disproportionately by one or two students who were visibly intoxicated, or by discussion the next day about how "everyone" was drinking a lot. Even the students who do not drink very much may become "carriers of the misperception" by discussing other students’ drinking behaviors. The lack of conversation about healthy attitudes and behaviors also contributes to the misperception. How often, for example, do you hear a conversation in which someone brags about having stayed sober at a party or talks about drinking soda instead of beer?

Question: Is social norms marketing an effective strategy?
Answer: Research on social norms marketing is considered to be preliminary because most studies to date have not used rigorous research methods. However, many college campuses and, more recently, a few high schools, have reported significant decreases in alcohol use and related consequences after adopting a social norms marketing campaign. For more information on social norms marketing, including links to other campaigns and reviews of the research literature, go to Social Norms Links.

Do you have other questions?

We’d like to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us at (617) 969-7100 ext. 2157 or SNAPPY@edc.org.

For more information on the Wellesley High School SNAPPY Campaign, go to Frequently Asked Questions About the SNAPPY Campaign at Wellesley High School.