ASSESSMENTS OF AIDS-RISKS, EFFECTS OF DIF FERENT SCALE RANGES AND PREVENTIVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AIDS

In a sample of 552 respondents effects of different scale ranges and r espondents' knowledge about AIDS for answering questions about AIDS-ri sks were examined. Knowledge was assessed with 12 items related to ris ks for HIV infections and preventive measures. AIDS hazards for differ ent groups (prostitutes, fixers, hospital personnel, homosexuals, and haemophiliacs) had to be rated with five items, one for each group. Re sponse variations were assessed in three parallel questionnaire versio ns with different ranges of risk assignments. Estimations had to be pe rformed in comparison with the average population. Some groups were co nsistently rated to be at high risk, others were assigned low risks fo r becoming infected with the HIV-virus. The analysis of response patte rns revealed that the three versions of numeric quantifiers determined the risk ratings only to some extent. The distribution patterns sugge st that our subjects had an ordinal risk ordering in mind that might b etter be expressed in verbal terms. The knowledge about AIDS had no sy stematic effects on response behavior.