Friends over Doctors? The Influences of Source and Perceived Customization on College Drinking

Abstract

College drinking, often associated with college binge drinking, is a critical issue in the United States and may lead to harmful consequences such as academic failure, injury, sexual assault, and even death. Health interventions targeted at reducing problematic drinking are needed to help prevent these harmful behaviors among college students. The current work explores the intersection of different types of information sources (e.g., authority and peer) and perceived customization on various health-related outcomes related to college drinking (e.g., trust, attitudes, and behavioral intentions). Undergraduate students (N = 448) were presented with health information regarding college drinking in a 2 (perceived customization or non-customization) × 3 (authority, peer, or technology source) between-subjects experimental design. We found a strong effect of peer source of health information, somewhat surprisingly more effective than information from a professional source (i.e., a medical physician). Moreover, the results underscore the importance of not only promoting perceived customization but also fostering a sense of agency with such interface features. Theoretical and practical implications for health-related outcomes are discussed.