A preliminary investigation using drama in community AIDS education

This investigation assessed the impact of drama on AIDS-related knowledge and beliefs of selected individuals in a university community. Subjects were 136 members of the audience attending two performances of "As Is," the award-winning drama by William Hoffman depicting the illness and inevitable death of a homosexual man with AIDS. The investigation used a pretest-posttest design in which subjects completed a survey instrument before and immediately after the performance. No changes in AIDS-related beliefs were detected as a result of the play. However, knowledge decreased slightly. A linear multiple regression analysis determined variables that contributed significantly to variation in pretest knowledge about AIDS. Pretest knowledge scores were high, particularly in terms of modes of transmission. However, some confusion was evident concerning the concept of casual contact. Though subject responses on a pretest tolerance index generally indicated tolerant beliefs toward people with AIDS, substantial concerns were evident among a minority of subjects. More definitive research is needed to examine the impact of drama as a medium for affecting knowledge and beliefs about AIDS and other complex, emotion-laden health education issues.