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AIDS and Behavior
Published in: AIDS and Behavior 2/2009

01-04-2009 | Original Paper

What You Think You Know Can Hurt You: Perceptual Biases About HIV Risk in Intimate Relationships

Authors: Jennifer J. Harman, Megan A. O’Grady, Kristina Wilson

Published in: AIDS and Behavior | Issue 2/2009

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Abstract

The use of heuristic biases and the false consensus effect can lead individuals to misperceive risk of HIV infection. The current paper presents the results of two studies which sought to examine whether individuals, (a) weigh risk relevant information accurately in their assessments of HIV risk, and (b) are susceptible to the false consensus effect in their assessments of actual intimate partner risk behaviors. The results of the first study support the hypothesis that individuals do not use objective risk information based on probability statistics in their assessments of HIV risk. In addition, the results of the second study find that female partners exhibit the false consensus effect regarding sexual risk behaviors, whereas male partners did not. Discussion centers on the role of perceptual biases in HIV risk behaviors among individuals in intimate relationships.
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Metadata
Title
What You Think You Know Can Hurt You: Perceptual Biases About HIV Risk in Intimate Relationships
Authors
Jennifer J. Harman
Megan A. O’Grady
Kristina Wilson
Publication date
01-04-2009
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
AIDS and Behavior / Issue 2/2009
Print ISSN: 1090-7165
Electronic ISSN: 1573-3254
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-007-9341-5

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