Social Norms Graduate Student Internship

Each spring semester, the University Counseling Center welcomes applications from graduate students from the Schools of Social Welfare and Public Health for the Social Norms Graduate Student Internship. The internship can be taken during the academic year or the summer for academic credit and would be suitable for those students looking to do a macro-level internship, with particular emphasis on social behavior/Community Health and an optional opportunity for epidemiology work as well. Inquiries can be direct to the Internship Director, Dr. Brian Freidenberg (link to: ).

+Project Goals (heading)

The project is an ongoing health awareness campaign called the Social Norms Campaign. Every spring, the University Counseling Center surveys undergraduate students to learn about theirbehaviors, as well as their perceptions of peer behavior. That data is then analyzed to assess for misperceptions about peers. It is important to learn about misperceptions given that research has shown that perceptions of peer behavior influence personal behavior.

Actual data on behaviors that are misperceived are then presented to students in the form of messages throughout the summer and the following academic year. This data is presented to students through posters, giveaways, Middle Earth peer theatre, ASP (Albany Student Press) articles and ads, e-newsletters, the S.T.A.H.L.(Students Talking About Healthy Lifestyles) News, the University Counseling Center Website, and Facebook fan pages and ads. The following spring, we survey students again to determine if there are any statistically significant differences in perceptions and personal behavior between students who report exposure to the campaign versus students who report no exposure to the campaign. The goal of the project is to first raise student awareness of how normative healthy peer behaviors are so that student perceptions of peer behavior are more accurate. Given a change in perceptions, it is hypothesized that there should also be an increase in healthy behaviors by students. Research on using this campaign has shown such effects at other colleges and universities and we have seen similar results at UAlbany.

+Student’s Role in Project (heading)

The Social Norms Graduate Student Internship provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop leadership skills and explore interests in health promotion, marketing research, program planning & public health. The position is designed to give students practical experience in health promotion while under the supervision of a University Counseling Center Staff Psychologist who is also an Addictive Behaviors Specialist.

The Social Norms Campaign targets the general student population (“General Campaign”), as well as two specific populations – student athletes (“Athlete Campaign”) and incoming students (“First Year Student Campaign). Both groups have been found to have an elevated risk for certain health problems, such as those related to alcohol use. The intern will coordinate each campaign and therefore work directly with students, including student athletes, and some first year students.

The intern will work with internal and external vendors to facilitate the creation and printing of campaign posters; order advertisements and promotional items; and work with other departments (e.g. Departments of Athletics and Recreation, Residential Life, etc.) as well as on-site graduate assistants and the University Counseling Center’s Middle Earth peer educators to coordinate the dissemination of campaign materials and programming. The intern will co-facilitate public presentations with Dr. Freidenberg, with the intern eventually facilitating programs of her/his own if desired. The intern will also assist in coordinating our Keynote Programcalled “The Real World: UAlbany,” during our annual National Collegiate Alcohol Responsibility Week. This is an award-winning, nationally recognized peer theatre performance program.

The intern will later be involved in assisting with the development of the following year’s campaign. The intern will learn how to lead focus groups, help select campaign messages and poster design, and propose future directions for the campaign.

The intern would be taught how to use SPSS and would be involved in analyzing student survey data as part of the internship. If desired, epidemiology could constitute up to 50% of the internship.

As part of the summer internship, the intern will lead a team that facilitates a Middle Earth’s peer theatre program called “Misperceptions” that takes place throughout summer orientation. The intern will be involved in rehearsals and performances. There will be 10 performances over the course of the summer. The program challenges misperceptions that incoming students may have about college student health. Data from incoming students is collected before and after these performances and the intern may have a role in data entry and analysis if desired.

+Expected Student Outcomes and Deliverables (heading)

  • Gain valuable experience in the areas of health promotion, public health and program planning
  • Become an expert in the social norms approach and serve as a leader and role model to other students assisting with the campaign
  • Network with UAlbany faculty, staff, and health professionals as a staff member of the University Counseling Center
  • Gain valuable expertise in understanding systems and politics within and among systems.
  • Have an opportunity to contribute significantly to the growth and success of UAlbany’s ongoing Social Norms Campaigns

+Social Norms Campaign Webpage (heading)

Further information on our campaign can be found here (link to: