TALKING SPECIFICS - FACILITATING EFFECTS OF PLANNING ON AIDS TALK IN PEER DYADS

Despite the best efforts of media-based health campaigns, many sexuall y active college students fail to discuss AIDS-prevention specifics wi th sexual partners. Moreover, some studies indicate that sexual partne rs who do talk about AIDS may actually enhance their risk (Cline, John son, and Freeman, 1992). This article argues that interpersonal resear chers can help AIDS educators rectify this situation by (a) creating n ormative models of competent AIDS talk, (b) grounding studies in exist ing theories of message production, and (c) examining the role of peer discussion in personalizing AIDS risk and modeling strategies for AID S talk. This study is one in a series investigating how planning helps interactants discuss potentially threatening topics (Cegala and Waldr on, 1992; Waldron, 1990; Waldron, Cegala, Sharkey, and Teboul, 1990). Data from 60 conversations of college-age peers revealed that the qual ity and quantity of interactants' plans predicted their success in eli citing highly specific discussion of AIDS risks and preventive behavio rs. This increase in effectiveness was gained without a corresponding reduction in partner perceptions of social appropriateness. Implicatio ns for peer-based AIDS education are discussed.