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Accentuate the Negative: Social Images in the Prediction and Promotion of Condom Use 1
Author(s) -
Blanton Hart,
VandenEijnden Regina J. J. M.,
Buunk Bram P.,
Gibbons Frederick X.,
Gerrard Meg,
Bakker Arnold
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2001.tb00197.x
Subject(s) - condom , psychology , social psychology , perception , promotion (chess) , negativity effect , developmental psychology , medicine , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , syphilis , family medicine , neuroscience , politics , political science , law
Based on the negativity bias in person perception, we argue that behavioral decisions related to condom use are influenced by the social images that an individual has of people who do not use condoms, but that they are not influenced by the social images that an individual has of people who do use condoms. Three studies with college student samples indicated that the negative evaluations of people who do not use condoms predicts willingness to have sex without condoms. In contrast, positive evaluations of people who do use condoms showed no unique predictions. A fourth study demonstrated that a health message emphasizing the negative social consequences of having sex without condoms decreased willingness to have unsafe sex in comparison to a control, whereas a message that emphasized the positive social consequences of using condoms had no such effects on willingness.