FRAMING IN TERMS OF HIGH-RISK GROUPS VERSUS RISKY PRACTICES AND PROGNOSES OF HIV-INFECTION

A quasi-experimental field-study (n = 314) investigated the consequenc es of framing the problem of HIV infection in terms of 'risky practice s' versus 'high risk groups'. It was reasoned that respondents in the risky practices frame would be more conscious of the risks to people i n general leading them to make more pessimistic prognoses of HIV sprea d than those for whom the issue had been framed in terms of high risk groups. This hypothesis was strongly supported on three related indice s, and results also indicated more pessimistic prognoses by female tha n male respondents. The implications of these findings for framing AID S related issues are discussed.