Signs of HIV Risk

• In Event: Health Communication and HIV Prevention

Abstract

Field studies indicate that people may have intuitive impressions about potential partners’ HIV-risk, but lack insight into the communicative cues that trigger these impressions. Here we used a large set of photographs depicting individuals in daily life scenes and collected cue-judgments for 60 facial, bodily, and setting cues. Independent raters evaluated the perceived HIV-risk for all depicted persons. The correlations between each cue and perceived HIV-risk provide insight into which cues may serve as ‘lenses’ for inferences about HIV-risk. Next, a cross-validated regression model that predicts HIV-risk from cues reveals a correlation of r = 0.7 between cue-based predictions and actual HIV-risk ratings. These results point to a HIV-risk stereotype that is rooted in associative person knowledge and activated during first sight - despite its unknown validity. We discuss these findings with respect to nonverbal and computer-mediated communication, particularly in online dating, and implications for health campaigns and interventions.

Authors

• Ralf Schmaelzle, Michigan State U

• Martin Imhof, U Konstanz

• FREDA-MARIE HARTUNG, Hochschule-Rhein-Waal

• Alexander Barth, U of Konstanz

• Britta Renner, U of Konstanz

• Harald Schupp, U of Konstanz