Review of psychology, Vol. 14 No. 2, 2007.
Original scientific paper
HIV-transmission knowledge, five-factor personality traits and psychopathy as determinants of risky sexual behaviors
Jasna Hudek-Knežević
; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology
Igor Kardum
; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology
Nada Krapić
; University of Rijeka, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology
Abstract
On a sample of 203 males and 219 females the effects of HIV-transmission knowledge, five-factor personality traits and three components of psychopathy (antisocial behavior, interpersonal manipulation and impulsive thrill seeking) on overall risky sexual behaviors as well as risky sexual behaviors during previous month were explored by using a series of hierarchical regression analyses. The main hypothesis tested in this research is that psychopathy is an important predictor of risky sexual behaviors beyond and above the knowledge about the consequences of risky sexual behavior and personality traits.
The results show that HIV-transmission knowledge predicts only overall risky sexual behaviors on the sample of men. Five-factor personality traits do not predict either measure of risky sexual behaviors in men and on the sample of women extraversion is a positive predictor of both measures of risky sexual behaviors. Antisocial behavior significantly and positively predicts both criterion variables on the sample of men and on the sample of women impulsive thrill seeking positively predicts only overall risky sexual behaviors. Also, HIV-transmission knowledge predicts both measures of risky sexual behaviors in interaction with interpersonal manipulation only on the sample of women. Women with less HIV-transmission knowledge and high in interpersonal manipulation show a higher increase on both measures of risky sexual behaviors in comparison with women who know more about HIV-transmission.
The results obtained were explained mainly by proximal physiological processes and possible distal evolutionary mechanisms which determine reproductive success and sexual behaviors of men and women.
Keywords
HIV-transmission knowledge; five-factor personality traits; psychopathy; risky sexual behaviors
Hrčak ID:
25574
URI
Publication date:
16.5.2008.
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