2 College Truths & 1 Lie: Social Media Embedded Gamified Normative Re-education

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Project Summary Traditional social norms marketing campaigns (SNMCs), which seek to reinforce risk-reducing accurate campus drinking norms via posters, have been a staple at universities for over two decades despite difficulties in assessing campaign exposure, and boomerang effects associated with psychological reactance among heavy drinkers. Further, exposure to alcohol content on Instagram and Snapchat has been shown to undermine traditional normative re-education programs. Recent efforts have successfully drawn on the emerging gamification literature to bolster student motivation and attention, decrease reactance, and thereby increase the efficacy and real-world utility of one-dose personalized normative feedback (PNF). This proposal leverages game mechanics identified in our previous projects to innovatively modernize SNMCs, which are universal (campus-wide) and typically employed alongside psycho-educational and PNF interventions. Further, we plan to utilize posts on Instagram and Snapchat to adapt the mode of delivery to specifically combat social media (SM)-based alcohol influence. This innovative use of SM posts to deliver a SNMC game has the added benefit of meeting students where they are (on Instagram and Snapchat) and is less resource-intensive than in-person, online, and app-based norms intervention strategies. Additionally, this project will utilize targeted ads, which are paid versions of posts, to innovatively addresses several limitations associated with traditional SNMCs, such as an inability to conduct RCTs to evaluate the effectiveness of these campaigns within a campus and a reliance on self-report to assess exposure to the campaign. The proposed project has two phases: (1) development of the gamified SNMC, 2 College Truths & 1 Lie (2T1L) (Phase 1), and (2) a hybrid feasibility and efficacy pilot RCT (Phase 2). 2T1L involves participants identifying an incorrect norm from a list of three “facts” about first-year students; the game then corrects the misperceived norm and reinforces the correction with graphics. Each round will include risk-reducing alcohol norms, either as truths or lies. 2T1L also included features like points and leaderboards that increase interest, engagement, and believability, especially among heavy drinkers who tend to be reactive to norms re-education. Participatory research methods will also be employed to produce 2T1L to maximize appeal and relevance to first-year students. In Year 1, we will conduct a norms documentation survey (N=400) to determine game norms (Aim 1a), and focus groups (N=50) to identify game aesthetics preferred by first-year students (Aim 1b). In the beginning of year 2, we will conduct a second set of focus groups (N=50) to test the 2T1L game and receive feedback to improve user experience of 2T1L prior to launch (Aim 1c). Phase 1 will culminate in a finalized version of the 2T1L SNMC to be evaluated by a hybrid feasibility and efficacy pilot RCT (N=414) in Phase 2. Short- and long-term effects of the 2T1L SNMC on reactance, norms, and drinking outcomes will be examined and findings will be used to inform the need for further investigation of this program in a large multi-site RCT.