This research explores the dynamics of risky behavior, specifically how people's social contexts and feelings jointly influence whether they chose to engage in personally risky behavior. What kind of power people believe they have in situations, how they cope with stress, and whether these processes lead them to refrain from or engage in risky inter-personal behavior. The research uses a field experimental method in which the same study participants anonymously report on their thoughts, feelings, and risky decision-making behaviors each day for several weeks.
The research draws upon theories that are broad, based in health psychology and the social psychology of power, but in order to consider the local social context or "ecology" fully, the research will focus on a particular group of at-risk people: Asian American and Pacific Islander men because 1) health statistics show that the increase in HIV-infection rates are rapid and unabated with this population, 2) they experience other health problems at higher rates than other populations and little is known about the causes for that disparity, 3) there is very little research in the HIV-prevention and intervention research that addresses their particular situations, needs, and vulnerabilities. In addition to considering individual stress and coping variables, the research also considers how feeling unaccepted either in the majority community or in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities may influence participants' behavioral choices, particularly choices that involve other people. The research will consider how resources and needs influence the psychology and behavior behind risk or safety.
The results will be disseminated to the larger scientific community to contribute to an understanding of how sociocultural, contextual, and group-based factors interplay with individual-level variables regarding risky behavior. In addition, these findings may suggest feasible new methods of data collection with ethnic minority and other vulnerable groups. The field research, theory, and experimental results from this project will provide a strong basis for developing social interventions and policies aimed at mitigating the behaviors and consequences for psychological and physical health that can result from social inequality.
Asian-American men and Asian immigrant men who have sex with men are one of the populations with the fastest increase in the rate of HIV infection, even though the prevalence is low. Although they have a variety of ethnic backgrounds, in some cultures and some families, there is considerable disapproval of gay behavior or of being gay. Some parts of the U.S. are also more or less in favor of equality, are more or less prejudiced gays, or illegal immigrants. This study compared the values and attitudes of specific people who participated in our study with poll data from their region. In addition, it measured their social behavior and feelings over a 21-day period. In this study, Asian and Asian-American men who have sex with men answered anonymous questions via an electronic device over a 21-day period. They described whether they felt stressed, whether they consumed alcohol, talked to or visited close others (e.g., friends, relatives), and had sexual encounters with other men. They also described the race and social status of those men. We compared personality variables of the men that we had measured before the daily diary part of the study. Results showed that participants were more likely to consume alcohol and have sex on the days they felt the strongest social approval -- separately than the sexual encounter incident. We did not find evidence that stress increased their chance of having unprotected sex. However, the less general unprejudiced and egalitarian they were, the less likely they would be to have non-sexual social support and sex on the same day. Their own personal prejudice also corresponded with the level of prejudice in their local area. It appears that in more traditional areas, Asian and Asian-American men, especially if they endorse group inequality, do not seek sexual encounters on days when they have other kinds of social support. Overall, because HIV is not highly prevalent among the sex partners of Asian and Asian-American men, unprotected sex is not a high-risk behavior for them (although of course, once a person has contracted HIV there is no question of whether he or she is "at risk" of contracting it). Having sexual relationships may be an important behavior for expressing their identity. We found that people who live in social environments that are not as disapproving, and people who themselves are not as disapproving, may feel more free to live as they wish. As the first research of this type, our study demonstrated some new methods and new findings for related scientists and health-practitioners. It also is one of the first to include this part of the U.S. population. Through this NSF funding, one new scientist and several undergraduate students gained expertise and experience in conducting research.
