Development and testing of the AIDS Psychosocial Scale

The dramatic spread of AIDS globally has placed it high on the world health agenda. Since no medical or technological solution to the problem is near at hand and given the fact that the HIV virus is heavily reliant on human sexual behaviours for transmission, tackling the problem of AIDS rests on addressing change of sexual behaviour. Various psychosocial factors have been implicated as mediating between adequate knowledge and behaviour change, given the poor correlation between the two variables. The present study was aimed at developing and testing a scale to measure various psychosocial factors, including self-concept, defenses of denial, repression and rationalisation, peer pressure, and perceived empowerment expressed in locus of control and self-efficacy. Two studies are reported in which students at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa participated. Various statistical analyses in the two phases indicated that the AIDS Psychosocial Scale was sufficiently reliable and valid for use in examining psychosocial mediation in the AIDS area.