Effects of group membership on perception of risk for AIDS

The role of social identity as a moderator for perception of risk for AIDS has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to examine perception of risk for AIDS as a function of membership in an identified risk group. 34 subjects who were homosexual, 58 intravenous drug users (IV), and 34 college students rated a 21-item list of behaviors for perception of AIDS risk. The findings indicate that the IV drug-use group significantly underestimated five risk behaviors, four of which are high probability behaviors of IV drug-users and two of which are exclusively IV drug-use behaviors. The homosexual group significantly underestimated four risk behaviors, all of which are primarily characteristic of that group. The college group was generally more accurate in assessing risk than either of the other two groups. These findings support the hypothesis that membership in a perceived risk group is related to differential perceptual bias associated with the need for positive social identity for one's group.