The present study concerns connections between personality traits, the behaviors by which they are manifest, and the behaviors by which they are judged. One hundred forty undergraduate Ss were videotaped in 2 social interactions, and 62 behaviors were coded from each tape. Separately, personality descriptions were obtained from knowledgeable informants. A pair of "strangers" viewed each videotape then also provided personality descriptions. Other Ss rated the diagnosticity of the 62 behaviors for each of the Big Five personality traits. The diagnosticity ratings predicted how behavioral cues would be used by strangers and were closely related to their actual relevance as indexed by their correlations with informants' judgments. These findings speak to the general accuracy of personality judgments, the development of methods to improve accuracy, and the value of reintegrating traditionally separate concerns of personality and social psychology.

The findings for a baseline assessment for a community-based HIV/STD prevention intervention for commercial sex workers (CSWs) and managers of the establishments that employ them in the Philippines is presented in this study. CSW knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and establishment policies concerning HIV prevention were assessed. Baseline assessments are part of an iterative process that will be used to modify the planned intervention. The preliminary findings point to the importance of an intervention that stresses changes in establishment policies and expectations as a means of reducing risk behaviours associated with HIV/STD transmission.

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Most studies on the transmission of HIV depend upon self-reports of risky behaviors. This study examines if there is social desirability bias with respect to self-reported condom use behavior, assesses the reliability of a self-reported condom use scale, and validates the self-reported findings with clinical sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis for commercial sex workers (N = 1,383) in the Philippines. The reliability of the condom use scale is .81, and results from confirmatory factor analysis indicate that the data fit the model well. Sex workers who reported using condoms consistently had significantly lower rates of sexually transmitted infections compared to those who never used a condom (t = 7.79, p < .01). It was concluded that no social desirability bias existed with the self-reported condom use scale. Furthermore, the condom use measure was found to have a high level of concurrent validity with STI outcomes.

The five-factor model (FFM) of personality is implicit in lay conceptions of personality; this research sought to examine laypersons' explicit grasp of the model. In one study, undergraduates (N = 233) were given definitions of the five factors and asked to identify adjectives known to be associated with each. In a second study, the rated diagnosticity of behaviors in three contexts was compared with their actual correlation with self-reported and acquaintance-rated personality factors. In the final study, undergraduates (N= 76) grouped 30 adjectives into clusters of traits. Results suggest that most laypersons can easily grasp the nature of the factors and their behavioral manifestations and can spontaneously recognize their grouping when provided with clear exemplars.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of HIV knowledge, demographics, and psychosocial factors with HIV risk behavior among high school students (N = 805) in urban and rural regions of Ecuador. Forty-three percent of the participants reported being sexually experienced. Of the sexually experienced participants, 50% reported never using condoms for intercourse, and 70% did not use condoms at last intercourse. A small minority of the sample felt that they were at risk for contracting HIV (18.5%). Educational aspirations past high school and residence in an urban area were significantly associated with decreased HIV risk (condom use at last intercourse and abstinence). High self-efficacy for condom use and strong refusal skills to unsafe sex were also significantly associated with decreased HIV risk. Consistent with prior research, the participants that reported their peers were sexually experienced were significantly more likely to have had sex. The discussion focuses on the use of interventions and education for promoting safer sexual behavior among Ecuadorian adolescents.