HIV-specific social support predicts less sexual risk behavior in gay male couples.

Gay male couples (N = 47) completed self-administered questionnaires at 2 time points (6 months apart) regarding their levels of general and HIV-specific social support and sexual behavior. HIV-specific social support measured partner support pertaining to HIV risk behavior. The sexual-risk-behavior outcome encapsulated monogamy, serostatus, and unprotected anal sex for each partner. The authors used an analytic approach that maintained the couple as the unit of analysis. General social support was an inconsistent predictor of HIV risk behavior. However, couples that reported greater levels of HIV-specific social support engaged in less HIV risk behavior at each time point as well as longitudinally. This study demonstrated the utility of measuring HIV-specific social support and its predictive ability related to HIV risk behavior.     

Young children's interest in live animals

Animals are important stimuli for humans, and for children in particular. In three experiments, we explored children's affinity for animals. In Experiment 1, 11‐ to 40‐month‐old children were presented with a free‐play session in which they were encouraged to interact with several interesting toys and two live animals – a fish and a hamster. Experiment 2 used the same methodology with 18‐ to 36‐month‐old children and two additional animals – a snake and a spider – to examine whether children's behaviours would differ for benign and potentially threatening animals. Finally, in Experiment 3, a more controlled paired‐preference paradigm was employed to assess 18‐ to 33‐month‐old children's interactions with three live animals – a fish, hamster, and gecko – versus three physically similar toy animals. Across all three experiments, children interacted with the animals more often than with the toys. Further, they behaved differently towards the animals than the toys, talking about the animals more than the toys and asking more questions about them. The parents of the children also spent more time interacting with the animals, directing their children's attention more towards the animals than the toys. This research supports the idea that humans have an affinity for animals that draws their attention to animals, even when attractive toys are present.