The Effects of a Gay/Lesbian Panel Discussion on College Student Attitudes Toward Gay Men, Lesbians, and Persons with AIDS (PWAs)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study examining the effectiveness of a gay/lesbian panel discussion conducted within a university-level human sexuality class. The panel was intended to alter the students' attitudes regarding gays, lesbians, and persons with AIDS (PWAs). A pretest-posttest design was used to assess student attitudes toward the target groups prior to and directly following the intervention. Results indicate that females reported significantly more positive attitudes than males overall, and that the panel was effective in altering the attitudes of females, while males showed no significant change from pretest to posttest. Supplemental analyses are presented, and implications for future research are discussed.