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Implications of the normative fallacy in young adult smokers aged 19-24 years.

Cunningham JA, Selby PL

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. John_Cunningham@camh.net

We used a random-digit-dialed survey of 434 smokers to demonstrate that approximately three quarters of young adult (aged 19-24 years) smokers overestimated by 20% or more the proportion of their peers who smoked. The effect of this normative fallacy was significantly greater in young adult smokers than in smokers aged 25 years or older. Because of the strength of this false consensus effect in young adult smokers, normative feedback interventions might be especially effective in this age group.

Published 24 July 2007 in Am J Public Health, 97(8): 1399-400.
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