EMPIRICAL TESTS OF AN INFORMATION MOTIVATION BEHAVIORAL SKILLS MODEL OF AIDS-PREVENTIVE BEHAVIOR WITH GAY MEN AND HETEROSEXUAL UNIVERSITY-STUDENTS

This article contains empirical tests of the information-motivation-be havioral skills (IMB) model of AIDS-preventive behavior (J. D. Fisher & Fisher, 1992; W. A. Fisher & Fisher, 1993a), which has been designed to understand and predict the practice of AIDS-preventive acts. The I MB model holds that AIDS-preventive behavior is a function of individu als' information about AIDS prevention, motivation to engage in AIDS p revention, and behavioral skills for performing the specific acts invo lved in prevention. The model further assumes that AIDS-prevention inf ormation and motivation generally work through AIDS-prevention behavio ral skills to influence the initiation and maintenance of AIDS-prevent ive behavior. Supportive tests of the model, using structural equation modeling techniques, are reported with populations of gay male affini ty group members (n = 91) and heterosexual university students (n = 17 4).