Date of Award
Fall 2010
Project Type
Thesis
Program or Major
Kinesiology
Degree Name
Master of Science
First Advisor
Michael Gass
Abstract
Alcohol issues are a concern of colleges and universities (National Institutes of Health, 2008). This study assessed the effects of an outdoor orientation program on the alcohol use and perceptions of program participants. Specifically, 30 outdoor orientation leaders participated in a three-hour training based on the social norms approach (Berkowitz, 2005). A repeated-measures, quasi-experimental design was used to collect data on incoming students' own use and approval of alcohol, and their perceptions of other students' use and approval. Results indicated that untrained leaders were "carriers of the misperception" of permissive alcohol use (Perkins, 1997) negatively effecting incoming students perceptions. Trained leaders did not reduce participants misperceptions, however misperceptions in these groups did not increase. These results suggest the need for social norms training for outdoor orientation leaders to minimize their potential for spreading misinformation about alcohol use norms on campus. An outdoor orientation training model is presented.
Recommended Citation
Oliver, Benjamin George, "Evaluating the impact of outdoor orientation on incoming students' perceptions of social norms about alcohol use on campus" (2010). Master's Theses and Capstones. 580.
https://scholars.unh.edu/thesis/580