HIV infection is a significant public health concern, particularly among young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective in preventing HIV infection among YMSM when taken as prescribed. However, there may be unintended behavioral consequences associated with PrEP initiation, with previous studies finding associations between PrEP use and increased sexual risk behaviors such as condomless anal sex (CAS). Further, problematic alcohol use, to which YMSM are particularly vulnerable, may also play a role in increasing sexual risk as engaging in sexual behaviors while under the influence of alcohol has been associated with CAS and other sexual risk behaviors. Previous literature has proposed risk compensation theory as a basis for this change in sexual risk behaviors following PrEP initiation. However, results have been mixed, and fewer studies have examined risk compensation specifically among YMSM or explored the role of alcohol-related sexual behaviors in this relationship. The present study aims to examine risk compensation theory as a mechanism for the relationship between PrEP initiation and alcohol-related sexual behaviors among YMSM. We hypothesized that the trajectory of PrEP initiation would be positively associated with alcohol-related sexual behaviors across 18 months. Consistent with hypothesis, a combined latent difference score and latent trajectory model revealed a positive association between PrEP initiation and alcohol-related sexual behaviors between baseline and 18-month follow-up in a sample of YMSM. These results are consistent with previous research identifying a high-risk period following PrEP initiation among an already vulnerable group (YMSM), with implications for risk assessment and interventions targeting alcohol-related sexual behaviors among YMSM. This study also highlights the role of alcohol use in increasing sexual risk following PrEP initiation. Findings may aid in reducing adverse sexual outcomes among YMSM who initiate PrEP and ultimately contribute to the minimization of sexual health disparities among YMSM.

The current study focused on examining the relationship between music media literacy and middle school students. The goal of the study was to bring awareness towards adding music media literacy in the middle school curriculum; in order to further educate middle school students on the potential negative effects of popular music on their attitudes and behaviors, help middle school students understand the processes involved in the creation of popular music, and help middle school students understand how popular music can reflect and impact society as a whole. Participants (n=20) were selected through social media ads, ads posted on listservs, and word of mouth. A series of analyses were conducted in SPSS to find any difference in how participants viewed music based on demographic factors. Results showed the students view the lyrics in music to be from real-life scenarios, such as sexualization, sexual activity, substance abuse, violence and aggression. As well, participants showed to view music as a portrayal of both men and women factually in the real-world. These findings support the need for music media literacy in middle school curriculum. Keywords : sexualization, high risk-behaviors, real-life scenarios

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Yes / Rationale: The Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) developed out of the Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory of Planned Behavior but has not yet been widely applied to understanding health behaviors. The present research employed the RAA in a prospective design to test predictions of intention and action for groups of protection and risk behaviors separately in the same sample. Objective: To test the RAA for health protection and risk behaviors. Method: Measures of RAA components plus past behavior were taken in relation to eight protection and six risk behaviors in 385 adults. Self-reported behavior was assessed one month later. Results: Multi-level modelling showed instrumental attitude, experiential attitude, descriptive norms, capacity and past behavior were significant positive predictors of intentions to engage in protection or risk behaviors. Injunctive norms were only significant predictors of intention in protection behaviors. Autonomy was a significant positive predictor of intentions in protection behaviors and a negative predictor in risk behaviors (the latter relationship became non-significant when controlling for past behavior). Multi-level modelling showed that intention, capacity, and past behavior were significant positive predictors of action for both protection and risk behaviors. Experiential attitude and descriptive norm were additional significant positive predictors of risk behaviors. Conclusion: The RAA has utility in predicting both protection and risk health behaviors although the power of predictors may vary across these types of health behavior. / Data collection for this research was funded by a grant from the British Academy to the first three authors.

Yes / Background: Reasoned action approach (RAA) includes subcomponents of attitude (experiential/instrumental), perceived norm (injunctive/descriptive), and perceived behavioral control (capacity/autonomy) to predict intention and behavior. Purpose: To provide a meta-analysis of the RAA for health behaviors focusing on comparing the pairs of RAA subcomponents and differences between health protection and health-risk behaviors. Methods: The present research reports a meta-analysis of correlational tests of RAA subcomponents, examination of moderators, and combined effects of subcomponents on intention and behavior. Regressions were used to predict intention and behavior based on data from studies measuring all variables. Results: Capacity and experiential attitude had large, and other constructs had small-medium-sized correlations with intention; all constructs except autonomy were significant independent predictors of intention in regressions. Intention, capacity, and experiential attitude had medium-large, and other constructs had small-medium-sized correlations with behavior; intention, capacity, experiential attitude, and descriptive norm were significant independent predictors of behavior in regressions. Conclusions: The RAA subcomponents have utility in predicting and understanding health behaviors.

Despite decades of effort in developing evidence-based treatments, drug addiction remains one of the most problematic and enduring public health crises. Developing a new generation of theoretically-derived interventions constitutes an important clinical and scientific gap that, if addressed, may open innovative treatment opportunities. Based on the Reinforcer Pathology theory, altering the temporal window over which reinforcers are integrated (i.e., measured by delay discounting) would alter drug valuation and consumption. The first investigation—in 2 separate studies— test the Reinforcer Pathology theory by examining the effect of expanding and constricting the temporal window of integration using two mating narratives (long-term and short-term relationships, respectively) on cigarette valuation among cigarette smokers. The second investigation, test the Reinforcer Pathology theory by assessing the effect of remotely delivered Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) narratives (expands the temporal window) on real-world alcohol consumption among individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Together, these investigations supported the Reinforcer Pathology theory and demonstrated its relevance for understanding and intervening in addiction. The current findings provide scientific justification to further investigate Reinforcer Pathology based interventions that expand the temporal window to change drug valuation and consumption. The construction of multi-component treatments that incorporate Reinforcer Pathology based interventions to systematically alter the temporal window may provide a novel intervention to reduce alcohol consumption. / Doctor of Philosophy / The following studies provide evidence that altering the temporal widow (how far in the future one can imagine and integrate into the present) would alter drug valuation. In the following studies, we used narratives describing long-term or short-term mating relationships (Study 1) and Episodic Future Thinking (EFT; represents one's capability to pre-experience the future; Study 2) to alter the valuation of cigarettes and alcohol, respectively. In the first study, cigarette smokers who read and vividly imagined long-term romance relationship narrative (expands the temporal window) valued cigarettes less than control (imagined looking for a lost key). In contrast, those who read and vividly imagined a short-term sexual encounter (shortens the temporal window) valued cigarettes more than controls. The second study employed EFT (expands the temporal window) as a strategy to reduce alcohol consumption, in real-world settings, over two weeks in individuals with alcohol use disorder. The study found that expanding the temporal window using EFT reduced alcohol consumption. Together, these two studies provide support to employing interventions that extend the temporal window to change drug valuation and consumption. The construction of multi-component treatments that incorporate interventions expanding the temporal window may reduce drug consumption.