Like a builder I used to work with, dabbing foil backed boards onto the wall and would'nt believe they would'nt stay there....they did'nt but no one listened.
Plasterers all use diluted PVA for fixing plasterboard so would have thought so. Few frame fixings (self tapping or sleeved depending on the background) can't hurt though. If the background is lightweight blocks use sleeved fixings or plugs.
No it dos'nt work like that, water wets the surface for the board adhesive to stick to the block/bricks, pva allows a barrier between the blocks and adhesive.