Rates of HIV infection remain high among young women. By far, the major route of HIV transmission for this group is risk activity. Research suggests that young adults are not adept at assessing the HIV risk of potential partners, and that alcohol consumption may contribute to inaccurate risk assessment. The goal of the proposed research is to reduce the incidence of women's acquisition of HIV by delineating the mechanisms through which alcohol affects assessment of a potential partner's HIV risk. Although alcohol's role in risk taking behaviors has been studied extensively through survey methodology, few experimental studies have been conducted on this topic. Previous experimental studies have utilized responses to surveys or vignettes as proxies for actual social interaction. The proposed study utilizes experimental methods in order to investigate alcohol's effects on women's perceptions of and behavioral reactions to a male confederate during a face-to-face interaction. The proposed study is a laboratory experiment using a 3 (Alcohol condition of participant: Sober, Placebo, Intoxicated) X 2 (Known HIV risk of confederate: Low, High) X 2 (Relationship interest of confederate: Low, High) design. Through the inclusion of a placebo cell, both expectancy and pharmacological effects of alcohol can be examined. Manipulated characteristics of the confederate reflect aspects of risky decision making that may create conflict for women. Theories about alcohol's effects on cognition suggest that it is high conflict situations that are especially vulnerable to alcohol-related risk taking. Prior to the laboratory session, participants will complete questionnaires that assess their attitudes, prior behaviors, and personality traits that may affect their risk assessment of potential partners, such as dating and relationship history, attitudes about casual relationships, usual alcohol consumption, alcohol expectancies, gender role beliefs, and impulsivity. These individual difference variables will also be examined as potential moderators of alcohol's effects on risk assessment and behavior. Dependent variables will include self report measures of risk appraisal and decision making. In addition, each session will be videotaped and coded in order to assess participants' behavioral reactions to the confederate. The findings of this study will contribute to tailoring prevention programs specifically for young women.
