Objective: This study examines temporal patterns and individual differences of overestimation in alcohol norm perception within a social network.
Design: Hundred psychology freshmen indicated biweekly during their first semester the drinks they consumed, the perceived average of their peers’ consumption, and with whom they were acquainted. At baseline, trait self-control was assessed.
Main outcome: The moderation of alcohol consumption overestimation by time and individual characteristics was explored.
Results: Results show that students overestimated alcohol consumption of their acquainted peers by 1.22 drinks (p  Conclusions: Students overestimate the alcohol consumption of peers not fully accounting for changes in peer-reports. Furthermore, individual differences suggest informational and motivational processes underlying overestimation.