MTSU Health Promotion Office

Social Norms Campaign

Research demonstrates that we tend to over-estimate the number of our peers making unhealthy choices and underestimate the number of our peers making healthy choices. Therefore, social norms campaigns can reduce misconceptions among college students and further encourage healthy choices.

We fully expect that these messages will continue to surprise students, faculty, staff, and administrators, and may even be challenged by them. The messages stand in stark contrast to the stereotypes that exist about college student behavior. However, the data included in these campaigns are collected directly from MTSU students completing a confidential, anonymous, and voluntary survey administered electronically across campus.

These projects are funded under a grant contract with the State of Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Spring 2025 Campaign: “Reach Out”

This year’s campaign, “Reach Out”, is focused on addressing mental health stigma and promoting positive behaviors to increase mental well-being by utilizing data from over 596 MTSU students in the 2024 Healthy Minds Survey.

The campaign features banners and posters placed across campus in high traffic areas to combat mental health stigma. Between the banners is an online resource directing students and staff to mental health resources available on campus. We have also included placement of large mental health awareness cutouts in the lobbies of these areas to catch people’s attention.

Previous Social Norms Campaigns

In the spring of 2024, the “Did You Know?” campaign was launched across campus utilizing survey data from over 650 MTSU students in the 2022 National Collegiate Health Assessment (NCHA) survey. The campaign’s 4 main areas of focus were vaping, mental health, binge drinking, and non-prescription substance use.

This campaign featured social media graphics, posters, yard signs, and even zoom background art promoting positive social norms. In addition, a detective cut-out of Lightening was placed across campus to spark student’s curiosity to uncover the facts regarding student health choices through an interactive quiz.

The “Greetings from MTSU” campaign was launched across campus utilizing survey data from the National Collegiate Health Assessment (NCHA) survey. The graphics in this campaign were formatted in a way to appear as a “travel poster” for a MTSU trip rather than an academic poster.

This campaign featured formatting positive social norms on calendars and posters that were posted in student spaces throughout academic buildings. This included faculty offices, student lounges, and student spaces such as the Rec Center.

The “True Blue Health” campaign was launched across campus utilizing survey data from the National Collegiate Health Assessment (NCHA) survey. The graphics in this campaign were formatted in a way to appear as a cartoon superhero and stand out from the other types of posters around campus.

The “Revisiting Reality” campaign was launched across campus utilizing survey data from over 685 MTSU students in the 2016 National Collegiate Health Assessment (NCHA) survey. The campaign’s 4 main areas of focus were vaping, mental health, binge drinking, and non-prescription substance use.

Throughout the year, you may have noticed posters, calendars, an online video, and other items touting the campaign slogan, “True Blue Health: Revisiting Reality.” The campaign is designed to highlight the large percentage of students who are making healthy choices, including choosing not to use substances like tobacco and marijuana, and/or choosing to limit their consumption of alcohol or to abstain entirely.