People do not use condoms consistently but instead rely on
intuition to identify sexual partners high at risk for human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) infection. The present study examined gender differences of
intuitive impressions about HIV risk.
Male and female perceivers evaluated portraits of
unacquainted male and female targets regarding their risk for HIV, trait
characteristics (trust, responsibility, attractiveness, valence, arousal, and
health), and willingness for interaction.
Male targets were perceived as more risky than female
targets for both perceiver genders. Furthermore, male perceivers reported
higher HIV risk perception for both male and female targets than female
perceivers. Multiple regression indicated gender differences in the association
between person characteristics and HIV risk. In male targets, only
trustworthiness predicts HIV risk. In female targets, however, HIV risk is
related to trustworthiness, attractiveness, health, valence (for male
perceivers), and arousal (for female perceivers).
The present findings characterize intuitive impressions of
HIV risk and reveal differences according to both target and perceiver gender.
Considering gender differences in intuitive judgments of HIV risk may help
devise effective strategies by shifting the balance from feelings of risk
toward a more rational mode of risk perception and the adoption of effective
precautionary behaviors.
Below: Mean HIV ratings rank-ordered for the four groups defined by the factors “Target Gender” and “Perceiver Gender.”
1Department of Psychology, University of
Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
Edited by: Philippe C. G. Adam, The University of New South
Wales, Australia
Reviewed by: Anthony Santella, Hofstra University, USA;
Fraukje E. F. Mevissen, Maastricht University, Netherlands
*Correspondence: Harald T. Schupp, Department of Psychology,
General Psychology, University of Konstanz, P. O. Box 36, Konstanz 78457,
Germany, Email: ed.znatsnok-inu@ppuhcs.dlareh
Specialty section: This article was submitted to HIV and
AIDS, a section of the journal Frontiers in Public Health
Corresponding
author.
