This proposal concerns the application of recent theoretical developments in the area of attitude and behavior change to the design of HIV-prevention interventions to reduce sexual risk behavior. Four projects will be developed by the PI and her team. Project 1 (currently funded through an R01) comprises a field experiment concerning selective exposure to HIV-prevention materials and participation in HlV-prevention counseling interventions. Its results will allow us to estimate which people are likely to come into contact with preventive programs and to design these programs in ways that attract the most reluctant audiences. Project 2 will include the collection of pilot data for a randomized control trial to study the influence of the interventionist's expertise vs. laity, as well as the demographic similarity between the facilitators and recipients of HIV-prevention intervention, primarily among African-Americans. This project will yield invaluable data concerning the best selection of experts and lays for maximal impact of HIV-prevention interventions on the reduction of sexual risk behavior for gender- and ethnicity-diverse populations. Project 3 will study the influence of action goals (thinking about having sex, intentions to be abstinent) on the formation and change of attitudes and behaviors in this domain through a series of preparatory laboratory experiments, and a pilot field study. Thus, Project 3 will provide the basis for investigating the degree to which sexual abstinence and sexual activity intentions may increase the effectiveness of HIV-prevention interventions for audiences with well- vs. ill-formed attitudes about risk reduction practices. Project 4 will comprise pilot experiments on the influence of interventions that conflict with the likely subsequent behavior of recipients and the need to refine them anticipating noncompliance behavior. This pilot research is essential to replicate our earlier findings that making unrealistic requests as part of a preventive intervention elicits noncompliance and ultimately leads to recipients' inferences that they have a negative attitude about risk reduction behaviors. The career development plan focuses on activities designed to advance the candidate's progress toward senior status and leadership in the field, including conference attendance, conference organization, collaboration with senior scientists, as well as training of students, postdoctoral associates, and junior faculty, and dissemination of research in the community.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research (K02)
Project #
5K02MH075616-02
Application #
7100202
Study Section
Behavioral and Social Science Approaches to Preventing HIV/AIDS Study Section (BSPH)
Program Officer
Gordon, Christopher M
Project Start
2005-07-27
Project End
2007-06-30
Budget Start
2006-07-01
Budget End
2007-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$125,478
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Florida
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
969663814
City
Gainesville
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
32611
Earl, Allison; Crause, Candi; Vaid, Awais et al. (2016) Disparities in attention to HIV-prevention information. AIDS Care 28:79-86
Ireland, Molly E; Hepler, Justin; Li, Hong et al. (2015) Neuroticism and attitudes toward action in 19 countries. J Pers 83:243-50
Hepler, Justin; Albarracin, Dolores (2014) Liking More Means Doing More: Dispositional Attitudes Predict Patterns of General Action. Soc Psychol (Gott) 45:391-398
Wilson, Kristina; Durantini, Marta R; Albarracin, Julia et al. (2013) Reducing cultural and psychological barriers to Latino enrollment in HIV-prevention counseling: initial data on an enrollment meta-intervention. AIDS Care 25:881-7
Hepler, Justin; Albarracín, Dolores (2013) Attitudes without objects: evidence for a dispositional attitude, its measurement, and its consequences. J Pers Soc Psychol 104:1060-76
Hepler, Justin; Albarracin, Dolores; McCulloch, Kathleen C et al. (2012) Being Active and Impulsive: The Role of Goals for Action and Inaction in Self-Control. Motiv Emot 36:416-424
Zell, Ethan; Warriner, Amy Beth; Albarracín, Dolores (2012) Splitting of the Mind: When the You I Talk to is Me and Needs Commands. Soc Psychol Personal Sci 3:549-555
McCulloch, Kathleen C; Li, Hong; Hong, Sungjin et al. (2012) Naïve Definitions of Action and Inaction: The Continuum, Spread, and Valence of Behaviors. Eur J Soc Psychol 42:227-234
Hepler, Justin; Wang, Wei; Albarracin, Dolores (2012) Motivating Exercise: The Interactive Effect of General Action Goals and Past Behavior on Physical Activity. Motiv Emot 36:365-370
Carrera, Pilar; Muñoz, Dolores; Caballero, Amparo et al. (2012) The Present Projects Past Behavior into the Future while the Past Projects Attitudes into the Future: How Verb Tense Moderates Predictors of Drinking Intentions. J Exp Soc Psychol 48:1196-1200

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