Normal social development is marked by increased independence from the home as adolescents move towards adulthood. As such, extended peer groups and affiliation become increasingly influential in drinking decisions. Teens often overestimate the quantity and frequency with which other adolescents consume alcohol (e.g., Baer, Stacy, & Larimer, 1991; Thombs, Wolcott, & Farkash, 1997; Jacobs & Johnston, 2005); moreover, misperceptions about the collective norm have been shown to impact age of drinking onset and the escalation of use (e.g., Graham, Marks, & Hansen 1991; Marks, Graham, & Hansen, 1992; Thombs et al., 1997; Jacobs & Johnston, 2005). In particular, perceived same-sex peer drinking norms are more strongly associated with problem drinking than gender-nonspecific norms (Lewis & Neighbors, 2004). Lewis and Neighbors (2004) assessed a group of young college students to determine gender differences in same- and opposite-sex peer estimates for alcohol use, and subsequently, whether these perceptions differentially impacted personal use for male and female students. They found that male participants provided significantly higher estimates for both genders, and that all students perceived girls to drink less often and consume fewer
