Engaging in Risky Sexual Behaviors

This research study investigated the following question: Is an increase in the willingness to engage in riskier sexual behaviors among HIV-positive males attributable to an increased optimism on the part of such subjects in relation to the effectiveness of treatments for HIV/AIDS disease and the consequences associated contracting that disease?

The purpose of this study was to test the proposition that, among a population at-risk for a potentially deadly disease, increased optimism about the effectiveness of treatments for that disease can motivate members of such a population to reject practices that have proved to be effective in reducing the probability of contracting that disease. While the specific focus of this study was on HIV/AIDS, the proposition stated in the study purpose could be applicable to any potentially deadly disease. Knowledge of the role of optimism about the effectiveness of treatment may play in behavioral choices made by persons afflicted with a potentially deadly disease will enhance the probability that improved strategies can be developed to channel decisions in the direction of less risky behaviors.

The subjects for the study were drawn from participants in HIV/AIDS support groups for self-identified homosexual men sponsored by the St. Bridgitte Support Group Center, which is affiliated with the East Orange Hospital in East Orange, New Jersey. Data were collected from the subjects included in the research sample with respect health beliefs c

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Theory. The behavioral theories upon which the theoretical model is based differ in many ways, however, "a comparison of their constructs yields agreement on key variables that an applied researcher should consider in conducting formative research to design an intervention" (Middlestadt, Bhattacharyya, Rosenbaum, Fishbein, & Shepherd, 1996, p. 21). The Theory of Reasoned Action In the TRA, Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) proposed that attitudes and subjective norms combine to determine behavioral intentions, which in turn cause volitional behaviors. This theory remains the dominant theoretical framework in the attitude-behavior literature. The TRA is used to predict behavior in many contexts, and the model frequently serves as the standard to which new ideas and theories involving attitude and subjective norms are compared (Olson & Zanna, 1993). The TRA treats attitudes and subjective norms as independent predictors of intentions. Grube & Morgan (1990) found that, among students aged 12 to 18, attitudes toward substance use and perceived substance use by friends consistently interacted to predict behavioral measures. Most people are likely to commit to a specific behavior or set of behaviors if they believe the outcome is atta

Category: Psychology - E