title: Other- versus self-focus and risky health behavior: the case of HIV/AIDS.
abstract: We examined the relationships of other-focus and self-focus with risky health behaviors among HIV+ individuals. Participants who were recruited by an AIDS advocacy organization completed anonymous questionnaires that included measures of other-focus (i.e. empathic concern and perspective-taking) and self-focus (i.e. personal distress and exaggerated internal control); direct measures of concern about the consequences of HIV/AIDS for the self, close others, and society; and a measure of willingness to engage in HIV/AIDS risk behaviors. As predicted, other-focus measures were generally associated with less, and self-focus measures with greater, willingness to engage in risky behavior. However, concern about the consequences of HIV/AIDS for close others was similar to self-focus and was associated with greater willingness to engage in risky behavior. These results are consistent with the notion that prevention efforts focusing on the consequences of HIV/AIDS - and perhaps other communicable diseases - might be more effective if they highlighted the consequences of the disease for society.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska Omaha , Omaha , NE , USA.
authors.forename: Amy S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Walzer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska Omaha , Omaha , NE , USA.
authors.forename: Kelvin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Van Manen
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska Omaha , Omaha , NE , USA.
authors.forename: Carey S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D000073599:Health Risk Behaviors; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016485:Needle Sharing / Q000523:psychology*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012941:Social Responsibility; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HIV/AIDS; Other-focus; disease prevention; risk behavior; self-focus; social responsibility