Who Cares What Others Think? the Indirect Effect of Others’ Attitudes on Condom Use Intentions

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objectives: Perceived norms and attitudes are generally theorized to independently influence intentions to engage in health behaviors. However, these two constructs may be interrelated and result in a more complex association with behavioral intentions. Perceived norms may also take an indirect path by influencing individuals’ attitudes, which guide intentions and behavior. The current studies sought to determine whether males' and females' attitudes toward condom use mediate the relation between perceived norms (i.e., perceptions of the opposite sex's attitude toward condom use) and condom use behavioral intentions. Methods: Two studies (N = 462 and N = 190, respectively) were conducted in which male and female college students completed questionnaires about their attitudes toward condom use, condom use intentions, condom use preparatory behavior, and perceptions of the opposite sex's condom use. Regression analyses with bootstrapping were conducted to test the proposed mediation model. Results: Across both studies, the proposed mediation model was supported, such that participants’ attitudes toward using condoms fully mediated the relations between perceptions of the opposite sex's attitudes and condom use intentions and preparatory behaviors. Conclusions: These findings are discussed with regard to HIV-prevention efforts targeted toward changing perceived norms in both sexes.

KEYWORDS:

• Attitudes
• perceived norms
• intentions
• condom use
• HIV prevention

Notes

Although 32% of both the Study 1 and Study 2 samples were not currently sexually active, the results of the mediation models did not differ significantly when non-sexually active individuals were removed from the analyses. Thus, non-sexually active individuals were included in the final analyses.

All primary analyses were rerun controlling for relationship status and length. However, the results did not significantly differ when including these covariates, so all analyses are reported without controlling for relationship status or length.

When the models were analyzed separately across sex, women's attitudes toward condom use partially mediated the relation between perceptions of men's attitudes and preparatory condom use behaviors, whereas men's attitudes toward using condoms fully mediated the relation between perception of women's attitudes and condom use preparatory behaviors.

A similar pattern of results is found when past condom use behavior is included as a dependent variable. Because past condom use behavior violates the temporal assumption of the proposed mediation model, it was not reported.