( Applicant's Adapted): HIV risk reduction interventions emphasize training participants in condom negotiation skills. However, there is little research on the social validity or interpersonal consequences of condom use negotiation strategies taught to participants in these interventions, and of partner reactions to the use of specific strategies of safer sex negotiation. This may be of particular relevance to women, for whom consequences of unsuccessful safer sex negotiation attempts may be partner refusal of condom use, or anger, defensiveness, or even physical or emotional violence. Although previous research has explored gender differences in the use of power and negotiation in sexual relationships, few examinations of the use of negotiation strategies have been performed with populations at high HIV risk, or have used a theoretical foundation for the selection of negotiation strategies. Support is requested for a study examining how men respond to different types of condom use request negotiation strategies by women. Formative studies with at-risk inner-city men and women will be undertaken to delineate the cultural issues in the use of condom use negotiation strategies. The investigators will then develop scripted videotape portrayals of a female model that demonstrate six condom use strategies, based on social influence theory and data from the formative phase. After pilot testing of the videotape scripts and study measures, 180 heterosexually-active African-American men will be recruited from an inner-city community agency setting. Each participant will be asked to watch a videotape showing segments of the same female model enacting each negotiation strategy, with order of strategy presentation counterbalanced on the tapes. Participants will be asked to complete measures of their response to each portrayed strategy, including likelihood of condom use in that situation, positive or negative affect, and attributions concerning the female model and himself. Data will be analyzed to assess judgements of effectiveness of each strategy, as well as potential interactions with participant HIV risk characteristics, demographics,and perceived personal HIV vulnerability. Findings from this research will provide important new information needed to tailor HIV prevention interventions for women, including better definitions of the types of negotiation tactics taught in interventions and methods by which women can be assisted in anticipating men's responses to their condom use negotiation styles.
| Otto-Salaj, Laura L; Traxel, Nicole; Brondino, Michael J et al. (2010) Reactions of heterosexual African American men to women's condom negotiation strategies. J Sex Res 47:539-51 |
| Otto-Salaj, Laura; Reed, Barbara; Brondino, Michael J et al. (2008) Condom use negotiation in heterosexual African American adults: responses to types of social power-based strategies. J Sex Res 45:150-63 |
