AIDS Discussion Strategy Scale

Abstract

The AIDS Discussion Strategy Scale (ADSS) is an objective, 72-item self-report instrument developed by Snell and Finney (1990) to measure the specific types of interpersonal strategies utilized by individuals when attempting to discuss AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) with a potential or current intimate partner. The scale is structured around six distinct subscales, derived through principal components factor analysis, which categorize behaviors ranging from direct, reasonable communication to indirect, coercive tactics. The six measured strategies are Rational, Manipulation, Withdrawal, Charm, Subtlety, and Persistence. Respondents indicate their likelihood of using these strategies on a 5-point Likert-type scale, providing insight into sexual communication dynamics.

Keywords

AIDS Discussion Strategy Scale, ADSS, sexual communication, interpersonal strategies, intimate relationships, rational strategies, manipulative strategies, withdrawal strategies, HIV prevention, self-report instrument, AIDS

Authors

William E. Snell, Jr., Patricia D. Finney

Purpose

The primary purpose of the AIDS Discussion Strategy Scale (ADSS) is to gain empirical insight into the diverse ways individuals approach sensitive sexual topics, particularly the discussion of AIDS, with an intimate partner. Recognizing that communication about health risks and sexual history is crucial for prevention, the scale operationalizes the various behavioral tactics—both constructive and destructive—that men and women employ to initiate or influence such a conversation.

By measuring six specific discussion strategy subscales, the ADSS allows researchers to identify patterns in interpersonal behavior related to sexual health disclosure. This understanding is vital for developing targeted interventions aimed at promoting safer and more effective communication practices within intimate relationships regarding AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.

Construct

The ADSS measures six distinct discussion strategies, conceived as interpersonal tactics used to initiate or maintain a conversation about AIDS with a sexual partner. These six subscales represent the core psychological constructs assessed by the instrument:

• Rational Strategies: Defined as straightforward, reasonable attempts to discuss AIDS in a forthright, honest, and logical manner with the partner.
• Manipulative Strategies: Defined as deceptive and indirect efforts, often involving coercion, lies, or guilt induction, intended to persuade an intimate partner to engage in the AIDS conversation.
• Withdrawal Strategies: Defined as attempts to actively avoid or postpone extended interpersonal or sexual contact with the intimate partner until they agree to discuss AIDS.
• Charm Strategies: Defined as acting in pleasant, affectionate, or charming ways toward the intimate partner in order to promote a discussion about AIDS through positive emotional inducement.
• Subtlety Strategies: Defined as involving the use of hinting, subtle suggestions, or indirect prompts in order to elicit a conversation about AIDS without explicit confrontation.
• Persistence Strategies: Defined as continuous, persistent attempts to try to influence the intimate partner to discuss AIDS, often involving repeated requests or reminders.

Validity

Validity analyses, including gender comparisons and correlational studies reported by Snell and Finney (1990), provide evidence for the construct validity of the ADSS. Gender comparisons revealed significant differences in strategy usage: females reported a greater likelihood of using rational approaches, while they were less likely than males to use manipulative or charm tactics. Both genders reported moderate use of subtlety and low usage of withdrawal tactics.

Furthermore, correlations established relationships between ADSS scores and other psychological constructs, including the Stereotypes About AIDS Scale, personal sexual dispositions, sexual attitudes, and sexual behaviors. Specifically, the use of manipulative strategies was positively related for both males and females to sexual traits like sexual depression and sexual preoccupation, as well as manipulative and casual sexual attitudes. Gender-specific findings included that women with higher sexual esteem were more likely to use rational strategies and less likely to employ manipulation or charm, whereas for males, sexual esteem was only associated with less willingness to use charm.

Reliability

The internal consistency reliability of the ADSS subscales was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha measure. In two separate investigations reported by Snell and Finney (1990), all six subscales demonstrated adequate to high levels of reliability, confirming the consistency of the items within each cluster:

• Rational: .96, .96
• Manipulation: .93, .92
• Withdrawal: .83, .85
• Charm: .81, .82
• Subtlety: .74, .66
• Persistence: .81, .80

These consistency coefficients indicate that the majority of the subscales exhibit excellent internal reliability, suggesting that the items within each factor reliably measure the intended discussion strategy construct.

Factor Analysis

To determine the underlying structure of the 72 items, a principal components factor analysis was conducted using Varimax rotation. This analysis aimed to identify independent clusters of items representing distinct discussion strategies. The results confirmed a clear factor structure:

• Six factors were extracted, all possessing eigenvalues greater than 1.
• Items that loaded uniquely onto a single factor (with coefficients greater than .30) were utilized to construct the six final subscales.

The resulting item distribution across the subscales demonstrated variability in the number of items necessary to define each strategy:

• Rational: 26 items
• Manipulation: 20 items
• Withdrawal: 4 items
• Charm: 5 items (Note: Item 9 is listed in both Rational and Charm subscales in the scoring section, suggesting potential cross-loading or a clerical note in the original source.)
• Subtlety: 3 items
• Persistence: 4 items

Instrument

Test Type: Objective self-report instrument

Format: 72 items, scored on a 5-point Likert-type scale.

Language Available: English (Original research language)

Population Group: Individuals (men and women) involved in or seeking intimate relationships.

Age Group: Adults (Implied by context of sexual partners)

Population Details: Used to assess strategies employed when discussing AIDS with a potential or current sexual partner.

Test Methodology: Responses are collected using a computer scan sheet, where respondents darken a response corresponding to A (–2, “definitely would not do this”) through E (+2, “would definitely do this”). The administration time typically requires approximately 45 minutes.

Keywords

Psychological measurement, scale development, sexual dispositions, sexual attitudes, interpersonal communication, Cronbach’s alpha, factor structure, psychometrics, HIV risk reduction

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected] (William E. Snell, Jr.)

Correspondence Address: William E. Snell, Jr., Department of Psychology, Southeast Missouri State University, One University Plaza, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 6370l

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1990

Permissions and Fees: Information regarding current licensing, permissions, or fees for commercial or academic use is not provided in the source material. Correspondence should be directed to the primary author.

Reference’s

• Snell, W. E., Jr., & Finney, P. D. (1990). Interpersonal strategies associated with the discussion of AIDS. Annals of Sex Research, 3, 425–451.

Items of the AIDS Discussion Strategy Scale

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Instructions: Suppose you wanted to talk to a potential or current sexual partner about AIDS. The following statements concern the types of things you might do if you wanted to discuss the topic of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) with a sexual partner (either a current sexual partner or a future sexual partner). More specifically, we are interested in whether you would use each of the behaviors listed below. To provide your responses, use the following scale:

A = Definitely would not do this. B = Might not do this.

C = Not sure whether I would do this. D = Might do this.

E = Would definitely do this.

Remember: Be sure to respond to each and every statement; leave no blanks.

1. My partner and I would compromise about the aspects of the topic of AIDS we’d discuss.

2. I would try to reason with my partner to influence him/her to discuss AIDS.

3. I would drop hints about wanting to discuss the topic of AIDS.

4. I would simply tell my partner that I wanted to discuss AIDS with him/her.

5. I would put on a sweet face to induce my partner to discuss AIDS-related issues.

6. I would try to get my partner to discuss AIDS by doing some fast talking.

7. I would continually attempt to discuss the issue of AIDS.

8. I would try to discuss AIDS with my partner.

9. I would explain the reason that it’s important for us to discuss AIDS.

10. I would subtly bring up the topic of AIDS.

11. I would state in a matter-of-fact way that I wanted to talk about AIDS.

12. I would try to look sincere to make the person more willing to talk about AIDS.

13. I would persuade my partner to discuss AIDS by telling some small white lies.

14. I would try to discuss the topic of AIDS, despite any obstacles from my partner.

15. I would try to negotiate what AIDS-related topics we’d be willing to discuss.

16. I would argue in a logical way that it’s important for us to discuss AIDS.

17. I would make suggestions that we discuss AIDS.

18. I would simply ask to discuss AIDS with my partner.

19. I would try to put my partner in a good mood before trying to talk about AIDS.

20. I would use deception to get my partner to talk about AIDS.

21. I would talk with my partner about AIDS even if s/he didn’t want to.

22. I would tell my sexual partner that I’d do something special if s/he’d discuss AIDS with me.

23. I would explain the reason why I want to discuss AIDS.

24. I would try to make my partner think that s/he wanted to talk about AIDS.

25. I would tell my partner it’s in his/her best interest to discuss the issue of AIDS.

26. I would get mad if my partner didn’t want to discuss the topic of AIDS.

27. I would make my partner believe that s/he would be doing me a favor by discussing AIDS.

28. I would try to persuade my partner to discuss AIDS related issues.

29. I would try to discuss the topic by convincing my partner that it’s really important.

30. I would make my partner realize that I have a legitimate right to demand we talk about AIDS.

31. I would try to make my partner feel like discussing topics related to AIDS.

32. I would demand to discuss aspects of our relationship that deal with AIDS.

33. I would try to make my partner feel bad or guilty if s/he didn’t discuss AIDS with me.

34. I would moralize about the topic of AIDS.

35. I would talk my partner into discussing issues dealing with AIDS.

36. I would give my partner a big hug to put her/him in a good mood to discuss AIDS.

37. I would tell my partner that it’s important for us to discuss AIDS.

38. I would con my partner into discussing things about AIDS.

39. I would tell my partner that we couldn’t have sex until we discussed AIDS.

40. I would try to manipulate my partner into a discussion on AIDS.

41. I would keep bugging my partner to discuss the topic of AIDS.

42. I would use flattery to persuade my partner to discuss AIDS.

43. I would tell my partner I want to talk about AIDS.

44. I would pout or threaten to cry if I didn’t get my way in discussing AIDS.

45. I would promise sexual rewards if we first discussed AIDS.

46. I would repeatedly remind my partner that I want to discuss AIDS.

47. I would keep trying to discuss AIDS issues with my partner.

48. I would become especially affectionate so my partner would agree to discuss AIDS issues.

49. I would insist that my partner and I discuss AIDS.

50. I would drop subtle hints that I want to talk about AIDS.

51. I would refrain from sexual contact until we discussed AIDS.

52. I would try to use coercion or blackmail to make my partner discuss AIDS.

53. I would try my hardest to make my partner discuss AIDS.

54. I would blow up in anger if s/he would not discuss the issue of AIDS.

55. I would state my need to discuss AIDS with my partner.

56. I would withhold affection and act cold until s/he discusses the topic of AIDS with me.

57. I would tell my partner that unless we discussed AIDS, I would never talk with him/her again.

58. I would get angry and demand that s/he talk about AIDS with me.

59. I would give up if my partner refused to discuss any AIDS-related issues.

60. I would appeal to my partner’s love/affection for me as a basis for our discussing AIDS.

61. I would ask my partner if s/he wanted to discuss AIDS.

62. I would argue until my partner agreed to discuss the topic of AIDS with me.

63. I would refuse to interact further with my partner unless we first discussed AIDS.

64. I would act nice so that my partner could not refuse to discuss AIDS with me.

65. I would convince my partner that we need to discuss AIDS.‌

66. I would be especially sweet, charming, and pleasant before bringing up the subject of AIDS.

67. I would tell my partner we are close enough to discuss AIDS.

68. I would loudly voice my desire to discuss the topic of AIDS.

69. I would pretend to be an expert about AIDS.

70. I would plead or beg my partner to talk about the disease AIDS.

71. I would get someone else to help persuade my partner to discuss AIDS.

72. I would tell my partner I have a lot of knowledge about the topic of AIDS.