Underage Drinking2T1LNCT06576011
2 College Truths and 1 Lie
A study testing Gamified Social Norms Marketing Campaign and Social Norms Marketing Campaign in people with Underage Drinking, run by Loyola Marymount University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This pilot randomized control trial (RCT) aims to assess the feasibility and efficacy of 2 College Truths \& 1 Lie (2T1L), a gamified social norms marketing campaign (SNMC) aimed at preventing and reducing first-year college student drinking. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 20 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Underage Drinking
- What is being tested?
- Gamified Social Norms Marketing Campaign and Social Norms Marketing Campaign
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 392 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 5 Aug 2024to 15 May 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 20 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Incoming first-year student with valid LMU email address
- 18-20 years of age
- Checks their Instagram 1-3+ times per week
- Consented to participate in the study
Who cannot join
- Not an incoming first year student attending LMU
- Under 18 years of age or over 20 years of age
- Do not have an Instagram account or checks it fewer than 1-3+ times per week
- Did not consent to participate in the study
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California, 90045
About this study
Official title: 2 College Truths and 1 Lie: Social Media Embedded Gamified Normative Re-education
This pilot randomized control trial (RCT) aims to assess the feasibility and efficacy of 2 College Truths \& 1 Lie (2T1L), a gamified social norms marketing campaign (SNMC) aimed at preventing and reducing first-year college student drinking. This program is designed to correct overestimations of peers' alcohol use behaviors, which, as shown in previous research, influence one's own future drinking behaviors. To examine the efficacy of 2T1L, this pilot trial will use a longitudinal design to determine whether playing 2T1L during the first few weeks of college will prevent increases in drinking or reduce subsequent alcohol use among first-year students during the same year, relative to exposure to a static social media-delivered SNMC or an assessment-only control condition. The investigators hypothesize that students randomized to receive the interactive 2T1L SNMC game will report less state psychological reactance in response to normative campus drinking statistics than students randomized to the non-gamified SNMC condition. Further, students in the 2T1L game condition will report greater accuracy in their perceptions of campus drinking norms and consume less alcohol following the six-week SNMC (short-term follow-up) and toward the end of the first year (long-term follow-up) compared to those randomized to both the active non-gamified SNMC and assessment-only control conditions.
Read the detailed description
A pilot RCT will be conducted to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed gamified normative re-education campaign, 2 College Truths \& 1 Lie (2T1L), which will be embedded on the most popular social media platforms associated with high-risk drinking during the first year of college. Incoming first-year students will be invited to participate in an online survey during the month prior to the start of the fall semester to determine baseline drinking norms and alcohol use. An automated randomizer will be programmed into the online survey to non-visibly assign participants to the intervention (n=138), active control (n=138), or assessment-only control (n=138) group. On the first day of the second week of classes, ads promoting participation in the gamified and static versions of 2T1L will begin to appear in the Instagram accounts of participants randomized to the intervention and active control conditions, respectively. These ads will continue to run over the course of the first six weeks, with a new ad promoting the current round of play every two weeks. Approximately one month following the conclusion of the final round of play, participants in all three conditions will be invited to complete the first follow-up survey (short-term intervention effects), which will include the same measures of drinking norms and alcohol use assessed at baseline. Six months post-intervention, participants will be invited to complete a second follow-up survey to assess the long-term effects of the intervention. At both the 1-month and 6-month follow-ups, the investigators expect that participants randomized to the intervention group will report greater accuracy in their perceptions of campus drinking norms and consume less alcohol relative to those randomized to both the active non-gamified SNMC and assessment-only control conditions.
- Conditions
- Underage Drinking
- Being tested
- Gamified Social Norms Marketing Campaign, Social Norms Marketing Campaign
- Medical subject headings
- Underage Drinking
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Gamified Social Norms Marketing CampaignBehavioural
This intervention is a gamified social norms marketing campaign (SNMC) primarily disseminated via advertisements on Instagram. These advertisements will invite students to participate in a game about student life at their university, during which misperceived alcohol norms will be corrected. The gamified SNMC spans the first full six weeks of students' first fall semester in college and includes three rounds of play. Round one occurs during the first two weeks, round two during the third and fourth weeks, and round three during the fifth and sixth weeks. In the game, participants are asked to identify whether normative facts related to a variety of topics are true or false. Correct feedback is then provided, intended to reinforce accurate norms related to alcohol use, which are embedded alongside other facts about college life.
Social Norms Marketing CampaignBehavioural
This intervention is a social norms marketing campaign that is primarily delivered via advertisements on Instagram. These advertisements will contain normative facts related to student life at their university, during which misperceived alcohol norms will be corrected.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Gamified Social Norms Marketing Campaign | Experimental | Participants randomized to this arm will receive a gamified social norms marketing campaign that is primarily delivered via advertisements on the social media platform Instagram. Receives: Behavioral: Gamified Social Norms Marketing Campaign |
| Social Norms Marketing Campaign | Experimental | Participants randomized to this arm will receive a social norms marketing campaign that is primarily delivered via advertisements on the social media platform Instagram. Receives: Behavioral: Social Norms Marketing Campaign |
| Assessment-Only Control | No intervention | Participants do not receive anything besides the surveys. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from Baseline Daily Drinking at 4 Months
Self-reported number of drinks consumed during an average week in the past 30 days.
Measured: baseline, 4 months
Change from Baseline Daily Drinking at 9 Months
Self-reported number of drinks consumed during an average week in the past 30 days.
Measured: baseline, 9 months
Change from Peak Drinking Occasion at 4 Months
Self-reported max number of drinks consumed on a single occasion in the past 30 days.
Measured: baseline, 4 months
Change from Baseline Peak Drinking Occasion at 9 Months
Self-reported max number of drinks consumed on a single occasion in the past 30 days.
Measured: baseline, 9 months
Change from Baseline Descriptive Peer Drinking Norms- Drinking Norms Rating form at 4 Months
Assesses perceptions of weekly alcohol consumption among peers over the past 30 days.
Measured: baseline, 4 months
Change from Baseline Descriptive Peer Drinking Norms- Drinking Norms Rating form at 9 Months
Assesses perceptions of weekly alcohol consumption among peers over the past 30 days.
Measured: baseline, 9 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Aug 2024
- Study start5 Aug 2024
- Primary completion15 May 2025
- Study completion15 May 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Underage DrinkingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 392 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Loyola Marymount University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dr. Joseph LaBrie, Loyola Marymount University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06576011
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 5R34AA030139-02
- Acronym
- 2T1L
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 23 Aug 2024
- Last updated
- 9 Sep 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- 2 College Truths and 1 Lie: Social Media Embedded Gamified Normative Re-education
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06576011
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2T1L / 5R34AA030139-02
- Conditions
- Underage Drinking
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 392 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Loyola Marymount UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 5 Aug 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 May 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 May 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 28 Aug 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This pilot randomized control trial (RCT) aims to assess the feasibility and efficacy of 2 College Truths \& 1 Lie (2T1L), a gamified social norms marketing campaign (SNMC) aimed at preventing and reducing first-year college student drinking. This program is designed to correct overestimations of peers' alcohol use behaviors, which, as shown in previous research, influence one's own future drinking behaviors. To examine the efficacy of 2T1L, this pilot trial will use a longitudinal design to determine whether playing 2T1L during the first few weeks of college will prevent increases in drinking or reduce subsequent alcohol use among first-year students during the same year, relative to exposure to a static social media-delivered SNMC or an assessment-only control condition. The investigators hypothesize that students randomized to receive the interactive 2T1L SNMC game will report less state psychological reactance in response to normative campus drinking statistics than students randomized to the non-gamified SNMC condition. Further, students in the 2T1L game condition will report greater accuracy in their perceptions of campus drinking norms and consume less alcohol following the six-week SNMC (short-term follow-up) and toward the end of the first year (long-term follow-up) compared to those randomized to both the active non-gamified SNMC and assessment-only control conditions.
Detailed description
A pilot RCT will be conducted to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed gamified normative re-education campaign, 2 College Truths \& 1 Lie (2T1L), which will be embedded on the most popular social media platforms associated with high-risk drinking during the first year of college. Incoming first-year students will be invited to participate in an online survey during the month prior to the start of the fall semester to determine baseline drinking norms and alcohol use. An automated randomizer will be programmed into the online survey to non-visibly assign participants to the intervention (n=138), active control (n=138), or assessment-only control (n=138) group. On the first day of the second week of classes, ads promoting participation in the gamified and static versions of 2T1L will begin to appear in the Instagram accounts of participants randomized to the intervention and active control conditions, respectively. These ads will continue to run over the course of the first six weeks, with a new ad promoting the current round of play every two weeks. Approximately one month following the conclusion of the final round of play, participants in all three conditions will be invited to complete the first follow-up survey (short-term intervention effects), which will include the same measures of drinking norms and alcohol use assessed at baseline. Six months post-intervention, participants will be invited to complete a second follow-up survey to assess the long-term effects of the intervention. At both the 1-month and 6-month follow-ups, the investigators expect that participants randomized to the intervention group will report greater accuracy in their perceptions of campus drinking norms and consume less alcohol relative to those randomized to both the active non-gamified SNMC and assessment-only control conditions.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Gamified Social Norms Marketing Campaign | Experimental | Behavioral: Gamified Social Norms Marketing CampaignParticipants randomized to this arm will receive a gamified social norms marketing campaign that is primarily delivered via advertisements on the social media platform Instagram. |
| Social Norms Marketing Campaign | Experimental | Behavioral: Social Norms Marketing CampaignParticipants randomized to this arm will receive a social norms marketing campaign that is primarily delivered via advertisements on the social media platform Instagram. |
| Assessment-Only Control | No intervention | –Participants do not receive anything besides the surveys. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 20 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Incoming first-year student with valid LMU email address
- 18-20 years of age
- Checks their Instagram 1-3+ times per week
- Consented to participate in the study
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Not an incoming first year student attending LMU
- Under 18 years of age or over 20 years of age
- Do not have an Instagram account or checks it fewer than 1-3+ times per week
- Did not consent to participate in the study
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Gamified Social Norms Marketing CampaignThis intervention is a gamified social norms marketing campaign (SNMC) primarily disseminated via advertisements on Instagram. These advertisements will invite students to participate in a game about student life at their university, during which misperceived alcohol norms will be corrected. The gamified SNMC spans the first full six weeks of students' first fall semester in college and includes three rounds of play. Round one occurs during the first two weeks, round two during the third and fourth weeks, and round three during the fifth and sixth weeks. In the game, participants are asked to identify whether normative facts related to a variety of topics are true or false. Correct feedback is then provided, intended to reinforce accurate norms related to alcohol use, which are embedded alongside other facts about college life. | Behavioural | Gamified Social Norms Marketing Campaign |
| Social Norms Marketing CampaignThis intervention is a social norms marketing campaign that is primarily delivered via advertisements on Instagram. These advertisements will contain normative facts related to student life at their university, during which misperceived alcohol norms will be corrected. | Behavioural | Social Norms Marketing Campaign |
Primary outcome
Change from Baseline Daily Drinking at 4 Months
Time frame: baseline, 4 months
Self-reported number of drinks consumed during an average week in the past 30 days.
Change from Baseline Daily Drinking at 9 Months
Time frame: baseline, 9 months
Self-reported number of drinks consumed during an average week in the past 30 days.
Change from Peak Drinking Occasion at 4 Months
Time frame: baseline, 4 months
Self-reported max number of drinks consumed on a single occasion in the past 30 days.
Change from Baseline Peak Drinking Occasion at 9 Months
Time frame: baseline, 9 months
Self-reported max number of drinks consumed on a single occasion in the past 30 days.
Change from Baseline Descriptive Peer Drinking Norms- Drinking Norms Rating form at 4 Months
Time frame: baseline, 4 months
Assesses perceptions of weekly alcohol consumption among peers over the past 30 days.
Change from Baseline Descriptive Peer Drinking Norms- Drinking Norms Rating form at 9 Months
Time frame: baseline, 9 months
Assesses perceptions of weekly alcohol consumption among peers over the past 30 days.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 9 Sep 2025.
Related trials for Underage Drinking
Recruiting
Evaluating Caregiver Involvement in Primary Care-Based Brief Interventions for Adolescent Alcohol Use Problems
Alcohol Use, Adolescent
Not yet recruiting
Hybrid Type 1 Trial of a Parent-Based Intervention Addressing Social Media and Adolescent Alcohol Use
Adolescent Alcohol Use
Not yet recruiting
Parent-Focused Alcohol Prevention Program for Hispanic Families in Faith-Based Settings
Alcohol Use, Underage Drinking
Recruiting
Brief Motivational Interviewing +/- Mindfulness Training for Adolescent Alcohol Use in Pediatric Primary Care
Adolescent Alcohol Use
Recruiting
Effectiveness of Brief Intervention in Primary Care for Diverse Young People (Chat)
Adolescent Drinking, Cannabis Use
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Gamified Social Norms Marketing Campaign and Social Norms Marketing Campaign in people with Underage Drinking, run by Loyola Marymount University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from Baseline Daily Drinking at 4 Months (time frame: baseline, 4 months). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 Sep 2025.