PsychologicalReports, 1992, 7 1, 1 149-1150.
O Psychological Reports 1992
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE OF AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS AIDS ',' ADRIAN FURNHAM University College London Summary,-202 subjects completed a questionnaire concerning their knowledge of and attitudes towards AIDS. The knowledge questionnaire had three sections, general knowledge, knowledge ol spread and symptoms. Intercorrelations of the sections of the attitudinal measure were factor analysed, and five interpretable factors identified. As in two previously reported studies the correlations among the three knowledge and five attitudinal factors were low and nonsignificant. Implications for health education and attitude change are considered. Applied and medical psychologists have been relatively quick to respond with research on the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Hays & Hays, 1992). Predictably psychologists have also looked at patients' and non~atients' attitudes, attributions, beliefs, and knowledge of AIDS. What is the relationstup between knowledge about AIDS and attitudes towards it? In one British study Morton and McManus (1386) using eight attitudes statements about AIDS and 13 questions on knowledge about AIDS lound none of the eight attitudinal items correlated significantly with the total knowledge score in this sample of medical students. The correlation between total knowledge scores and attitudes was .17 (N= 143). In a large cross-culturd study Temoshok, Sweet, and Zich (1987) found a general fear of AIDS and antihomosexual attitudes were significantly negatively correlated with knowledge of AIDS. However, there was no significant correlarion between knowledge about AIDS and the perceived risk of AIDS or the desire for more information on AIDS. This studv set out to examine in more detail the relations between knowledge of and attitudes towards AIDS using multidimensional measures of both knowledge (hstory, spread, and symptoms) and attitudes. If the above findings are robust, the correlations between knowledge and attitudes should be low and nonsignificant. Two hundred and two subjeca (122 women and 80 men) participated. Their ages ranged between 16 and 46 years but most (91%) were between 20 and 30 years old. Many were uni. versity and polytechnic students of all disciplines (82.2%), while the remainder (17.8%) were at work. Nearly all had completed their high school education, and all were unmarried. They completed a 4-part questionnaire: (1)Knowledge of development of AIDS (8 questions), (2) Spread of AIDS (8 questions), (3) Symptoms of AIDS (8 questions), (4) Attitudes towards AIDS (20 questions). These questions were derived from a number of sources: fact sheets and pamphlets on AIDS, books and papers on the topic, and medical literature. The questions were examined for their clarity, lack of ambiguiry, and comprehensibility. The first three subscales were highly positively correlated: development and spread (r = .82, p < .001), development and symptoms (r = .59, p < .001), and spread and symptoms (r = .68); however, none of the first three measures were significantly correlated with the total knowledge score or specific factors. Indeed, the highest correlation did not exceed .09 (ns). There was then
-
'Reprint requests to Professor Adrian Furnham, Department of Psychologv, University College fondon, Gower Street, London WClE 6BT. Data are on file in Document NAPS-04992. Remit $4.00 for fiche or $11.95 for photocopy to National Auxili Publications Service, c/o Microfiche Publications, POB 3513, Grand Central Station, New Y%, NY 10163.
1150
A. FURNHAM
no relationship between knowledge and attitudes towards AIDS, despite both major variables being subdivided into subscales. The results, based on a moderate-size but varied gmup of young people, replicated the findings of Morton and McManus (1986) who tested medical students, and Temoshok, et al. (1987) who tested Lour different groups totalling 399 The absence of any relationship between knowledge and attitudes is not unknown, as is the weak relationship between attitudes and behaviour. That is, attitudes however extreme are not necessarily related to how much knowledge a person has o n a topic. If anything, it appears that this relationship is negatlve but not significant. Health education concerns both dispersion of knowledge and establishment of consistent attitudes. The hope is that knowledge leads to healthy bt.hav~ourand the attitudes, which may be related to both knowledge and behaviour, are appropriate. However, work in this area and most dearly the present results suggesr attitudes and knowledge are clearly unrelated. Because they found attitudes about homosexuabty and not about knowledge of AIDS were related to attitudes about AIDS, ,Morton and McManus 11986) concluded that there should be an increased emphasis on generd education about homosexuality rather than on the specific, factual details of the disease. But this assumes that chang~ngattitudes toward homosexuahty will change attitudes towards AIDS, which in turn is adjustrd to changed sexual behaviour aimed at lessening the likelihood of catching AIDS. There is precious little experimental evidence suggesting that this will happen. Temoshok, et al. (1987), on the other hand, suggest that education progrJmrnes should be tailored ro meet the educational and sociocultural differences in particular segments in the population. Given that we know attitudes and knowledge are associated with demographic and psychographic features, it may be wiser to target any campaigns at these specific groups.
REFERENCES HAYS,H. E . , & HAYS,J. R. (1992) Students' knowledge of AIDS and sexual risk behavior. Psychological Reports, 71, 649-650. MORTON,A,, & MCMANUS,I. (1986) Attitudes to our knowledge about the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: lack of correlation. British MedicaIJournal, 293, 1212. L., SWEET,D., & ZICH,J. (1987) A three-city comparison of the public's knowlTEMOSHOK, edge and attitudes about AIDS. Psychology and Health, 1, 43-60. Accepted November 9, 1992
O Psychological Reports 1992
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE OF AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS AIDS ',' ADRIAN FURNHAM University College London Summary,-202 subjects completed a questionnaire concerning their knowledge of and attitudes towards AIDS. The knowledge questionnaire had three sections, general knowledge, knowledge ol spread and symptoms. Intercorrelations of the sections of the attitudinal measure were factor analysed, and five interpretable factors identified. As in two previously reported studies the correlations among the three knowledge and five attitudinal factors were low and nonsignificant. Implications for health education and attitude change are considered. Applied and medical psychologists have been relatively quick to respond with research on the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Hays & Hays, 1992). Predictably psychologists have also looked at patients' and non~atients' attitudes, attributions, beliefs, and knowledge of AIDS. What is the relationstup between knowledge about AIDS and attitudes towards it? In one British study Morton and McManus (1386) using eight attitudes statements about AIDS and 13 questions on knowledge about AIDS lound none of the eight attitudinal items correlated significantly with the total knowledge score in this sample of medical students. The correlation between total knowledge scores and attitudes was .17 (N= 143). In a large cross-culturd study Temoshok, Sweet, and Zich (1987) found a general fear of AIDS and antihomosexual attitudes were significantly negatively correlated with knowledge of AIDS. However, there was no significant correlarion between knowledge about AIDS and the perceived risk of AIDS or the desire for more information on AIDS. This studv set out to examine in more detail the relations between knowledge of and attitudes towards AIDS using multidimensional measures of both knowledge (hstory, spread, and symptoms) and attitudes. If the above findings are robust, the correlations between knowledge and attitudes should be low and nonsignificant. Two hundred and two subjeca (122 women and 80 men) participated. Their ages ranged between 16 and 46 years but most (91%) were between 20 and 30 years old. Many were uni. versity and polytechnic students of all disciplines (82.2%), while the remainder (17.8%) were at work. Nearly all had completed their high school education, and all were unmarried. They completed a 4-part questionnaire: (1)Knowledge of development of AIDS (8 questions), (2) Spread of AIDS (8 questions), (3) Symptoms of AIDS (8 questions), (4) Attitudes towards AIDS (20 questions). These questions were derived from a number of sources: fact sheets and pamphlets on AIDS, books and papers on the topic, and medical literature. The questions were examined for their clarity, lack of ambiguiry, and comprehensibility. The first three subscales were highly positively correlated: development and spread (r = .82, p < .001), development and symptoms (r = .59, p < .001), and spread and symptoms (r = .68); however, none of the first three measures were significantly correlated with the total knowledge score or specific factors. Indeed, the highest correlation did not exceed .09 (ns). There was then
-
'Reprint requests to Professor Adrian Furnham, Department of Psychologv, University College fondon, Gower Street, London WClE 6BT. Data are on file in Document NAPS-04992. Remit $4.00 for fiche or $11.95 for photocopy to National Auxili Publications Service, c/o Microfiche Publications, POB 3513, Grand Central Station, New Y%, NY 10163.
1150
A. FURNHAM
no relationship between knowledge and attitudes towards AIDS, despite both major variables being subdivided into subscales. The results, based on a moderate-size but varied gmup of young people, replicated the findings of Morton and McManus (1986) who tested medical students, and Temoshok, et al. (1987) who tested Lour different groups totalling 399 The absence of any relationship between knowledge and attitudes is not unknown, as is the weak relationship between attitudes and behaviour. That is, attitudes however extreme are not necessarily related to how much knowledge a person has o n a topic. If anything, it appears that this relationship is negatlve but not significant. Health education concerns both dispersion of knowledge and establishment of consistent attitudes. The hope is that knowledge leads to healthy bt.hav~ourand the attitudes, which may be related to both knowledge and behaviour, are appropriate. However, work in this area and most dearly the present results suggesr attitudes and knowledge are clearly unrelated. Because they found attitudes about homosexuabty and not about knowledge of AIDS were related to attitudes about AIDS, ,Morton and McManus 11986) concluded that there should be an increased emphasis on generd education about homosexuality rather than on the specific, factual details of the disease. But this assumes that chang~ngattitudes toward homosexuahty will change attitudes towards AIDS, which in turn is adjustrd to changed sexual behaviour aimed at lessening the likelihood of catching AIDS. There is precious little experimental evidence suggesting that this will happen. Temoshok, et al. (1987), on the other hand, suggest that education progrJmrnes should be tailored ro meet the educational and sociocultural differences in particular segments in the population. Given that we know attitudes and knowledge are associated with demographic and psychographic features, it may be wiser to target any campaigns at these specific groups.
REFERENCES HAYS,H. E . , & HAYS,J. R. (1992) Students' knowledge of AIDS and sexual risk behavior. Psychological Reports, 71, 649-650. MORTON,A,, & MCMANUS,I. (1986) Attitudes to our knowledge about the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: lack of correlation. British MedicaIJournal, 293, 1212. L., SWEET,D., & ZICH,J. (1987) A three-city comparison of the public's knowlTEMOSHOK, edge and attitudes about AIDS. Psychology and Health, 1, 43-60. Accepted November 9, 1992
