"America responds to AIDS," but did college students? Differences between March, 1987, and September, 1988

To assess thoughts, perceptions, attitudes, and behavior related to AIDS, data were collected from 2 similar samples of college students. The sets of data were collected 18 months apart. Results indicate increased awareness and knowledge and changed attitudes and behaviors in some cases, but the absolute magnitudes of the differences are small for most between-group comparisons. Also, the evidence suggests that many students lack detailed knowledge and fail to see the implications of their knowledge for change in their own behavior. These findings imply educational efforts must go beyond merely providing knowledge and explicitly link facts to personal belief systems and decision making.