Characteristics of Female College Students Attending the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt

Abstract

Following a weekend exhibit of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, we compared responses of a group of female introductory psychology students who had visited the Quilt exhibit (n = 29) to those from a group who had not (n = 58) to see whether Quilt attendance was correlated with differences in tolerance of people with AIDS (PWAs), perceived AIDS knowledge, and perceived susceptibility to HIV infection. Consistent differences in empathy for and tolerance of PWAs were noted, with Quilt attendees showing more empathy. However, there were no differences in students' perceived knowledge about AIDS or perceived susceptibility to HIV infection for themselves or family members. Also noted was a short-lived increase in the number of books on HIV/AIDS checked out from the campus library immediately after the Quilt display and again at exams. These data suggest that an AIDS awareness event such as the Quilt display is associated with increased interest in AIDS and empathy toward people with AIDS, but is not rela...