The impact of increased factual knowledge on fear of contagion of HIV / AIDS
Authors
Vigano, Noemi
Issue Date
2003
Degree
BA in Psychology
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
An experiment was conducted to examine whether fear of contagion of HIV I AIDS could be reduced by increasing factual knowledge. The sample consisted of third level students and a within participants design was adopted. It was predicted that the levels of fear of contagion of HIV / AIDS would be significantly lower in the post-training condition than the levels of fear of contagion of HIV / AIDS in the pre-training condition. The present results did not support this hypoFinal Year Project as fear of contagion was found to have significantly increased in the post-training condition (Q1: t =-10.67; df= 46; p ≤ 0.05) (Q2: t = -4.295; df = 46; p ≤ 0.05) (Q3: t = -7.684; df = 46; p ≤ 0.05). It is suggested that social desirability may have played a role in determining the current results. It is also suggested that viewing fear of contagion of HIV / AIDS as being a driving part of cognition rather than its outcome, would provide with a more accurate description of fear of contagion as the affective component of the overall attitude towards HIV / AIDS.