Modeling quantum change in adolescent sexual initiation and condom use

模拟青少年性行为和安全套使用的量子变化

• 批准号: 8848417
• 负责人: Din Chen
• 金额: $ 28.68万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-07-22 至 2018-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8848417
• 关键词: AIDS prevention; Accounting; Address; Adolescent; Adolescent sexual risk; Alcohols; Appearance; Behavior; Behavior Therapy; Behavioral; Behavioral Research; Characteristics; Charge; Cognitive; Communities; Complex; Computer Simulation; Computer software; Critical Thinking; Cues; Data; Data Analyses; Decision Making; Emergency Situation; Funding; Goals; HIV; HIV risk; Health; Human; Intention; Intervention; Intervention Studies; Investigation; Left; Light; Literature; Longitudinal Surveys; Methodology; Methods; Modeling; Nature; Operating System; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Physics; Play; Positioning Attribute; Prevention; Process; Public Health; Research; Research Personnel; Risk; Risk Behaviors; Risk Reduction; Role; Safe Sex; Scientist; System; Systems Theory; Thinking; Time; United States; United States National Institutes of Health; Youth; analytical tool; base; behavior change; condoms; contextual factors; data modeling; early sex initiation; effective intervention; heuristics; improved; insight; novel; particle; pressure; prevent; programs; quantum; randomized trial; sex; sex risk; sexual debut; simulation; social; theories; transmission process

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Modeling quantum change in adolescent sexual initiation and condom use) A better understanding of early sexual initiation and condom use among adolescents is of great significance for prevention of HIV transmission. According to the dual-process systems theory, human behaviors are determined largely by two decision making systems. System 1 is a cognitive mechanism frequently used for routine or quick decisions (e.g., in emergency or under pressure); System 2 is a cognitive mechanism less frequently used for rule-based decisions by carefully weighing pros and cons of alternatives. According to this theory, adolescents' decisions regarding sex and condom use may contain both quick processes executed by System 1 and a gradual processes executed by System 2. Analytically, behavioral changes operated by System 1 will be seen as "discrete" because these changes are rapid, giving the appearance of having been executed without thinking. Behavioral changes executed by System 2 will be seen as "continuous" because critical thinking and careful assessment take time. Behavioral theories and models guiding much of our past research have focused on continuous changes, leaving discrete changes largely untouched. The co-existence of continuous and discrete processes in human behavior has been termed "quantum behavior change" (QBC) in the literature given their similarity to the well-known dual characteristics of waves and particles of light ray in physics. HIV behavior research may be advanced through the application of the QBC approach. The investigation of the QBC nature of a behavior requires methodologies capable of simultaneously modeling both continuous and discrete process; to date, such methods have not been well established. Cusp catastrophe modeling represents a promising approach, but several limitations of the estimation method prevent its use in HIV behavior research. Guided by the dual-process systems theory, in this project we will (1) extend and improve the estimation methods for cusp catastrophe modeling; (2) employ the improved methodology to simulate different risk and intervention scenarios to gain new insight into the complex dynamics of adolescents' sexual initiation and condom use behavior; (3) employ the same methodology to analyze the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 data to investigate factors associated with risky and safer sex, and data from two NIH-funded randomized trials we conducted to re-assess program effect; and (4) develop statistical software supporting the use of cusp catastrophe modeling method, making it available without charge to researchers. A team consisting of behavioral scientists and methodologists is assembled and well positioned to carry out the proposed research. To the best of our knowledge, this project is the first to address the QBC nature of adolescent sexual risk behavior using the cusp catastrophe modeling method and guided by the dual- process systems theory. Expected findings of this project will (1) add new data furthering our understanding of adolescent HIV risk behaviors and supporting more effective interventions for risk reduction and (2) provide new paradigms and analytical tools for researchers to advance their research agenda.

描述（申请人提供）：模拟青少年性行为和安全套使用的量子变化）更好地了解青少年早期性行为和安全套使用对于预防艾滋病毒传播具有重要意义。根据双过程系统理论，人类的行为很大程度上是由两个决策系统决定的。系统 1 是一种认知机制，经常用于常规或快速决策（例如，在紧急情况或压力下）；系统 2 是一种认知机制，不太常用于通过仔细权衡替代方案的利弊来进行基于规则的决策。根据这一理论，青少年关于性和安全套使用的决定可能既包含系统1执行的快速过程，也包含系统2执行的渐进过程。从分析上讲，系统1操作的行为变化将被视为“离散的”，因为这些变化是速度之快，给人一种不假思索就被处决的感觉。系统 2 执行的行为改变将被视为“持续的”，因为批判性思维和仔细评估需要时间。指导我们过去大部分研究的行为理论和模型都集中在连续变化上，而离散变化基本上没有受到影响。人类行为中连续和离散过程的共存在文献中被称为“量子行为变化”（QBC），因为它们与物理学中众所周知的光线波和粒子的双重特征相似。 HIV 行为研究可以通过 QBC 方法的应用来推进。对行为的 QBC 本质的研究需要能够同时对连续和离散过程进行建模的方法；迄今为止，此类方法尚未得到很好的确立。尖峰突变模型代表了一种有前途的方法，但估计方法的一些局限性阻碍了其在艾滋病毒行为研究中的使用。在双过程系统理论的指导下，本项目将（1）扩展和改进尖点突变模型的估计方法； （2）采用改进的方法来模拟不同的风险和干预场景，以对青少年性起始和安全套使用行为的复杂动态有新的认识； (3) 采用相同的方法分析 1997 年全国青年纵向调查数据，以调查与危险性行为和安全性行为相关的因素，以及我们为重新评估计划效果而进行的两项 NIH 资助的随机试验的数据； (4) 开发支持尖点突变建模方法的统计软件，免费提供给研究人员。由行为科学家和方法学家组成的团队已组建完毕，并处于有利位置来开展拟议的研究。据我们所知，该项目是第一个使用尖点灾难建模方法并以双过程系统理论为指导来解决青少年性风险行为的 QBC 性质的项目。该项目的预期结果将（1）添加新数据，进一步加深我们对青少年艾滋病毒风险行为的理解，并支持更有效的降低风险干预措施；（2）为研究人员提供新的范式和分析工具，以推进他们的研究议程。