NSF Award
1551201
Does vulnerability to disease influence the decisions that people make? Much is known about the effects of illness on worker absenteeism and disability, but little is known about the effects of disease vulnerability on decision making, which can play a key role in quality of life and the nation's economic growth. This research examines the link between disease vulnerability due to immunological functioning or the environmental context and decision making with a series of studies. This research is based in a novel integration of theory and methods from several fields including psychoneuroimmunology, experimental social psychology, and evolutionary biology. It is easy to imagine that given a disease vulnerability one would engage in self-protective decisions and behaviors. However, by combining these theories the scientists arrive at an innovative and counterintuitive prediction. That is, instead of moving us toward safe decisions, vulnerability to disease that stems from environmental and immunological sources may actually lead to risky decisions. The findings of this research could be used to promote the physical health of our citizens, benefiting their well-being and our nation's economy.<br/><br/>The proposed research will test the hypothesis that greater vulnerability to pathogens and disease increase risky decision making. The research tests decision making in the context of biologically derived, immune-based vulnerabilities or perceived changes in the external pathogen load. To test the link between vulnerability and risky decisions, Dr. Sarah Hill, from Texas Christian University, and her colleagues, propose a multi-disciplinary correlational study that measures the relationship between multiple facets of peripheral blood-based immune function and decision-making. This first-of-its kind study will provide important new insights into whether key measures of immunological function predict risk-taking and its attitudinal and cognitive antecedents. Next, the researchers propose seven laboratory experiments in which they use an established priming procedure to experimentally induce perceived vulnerability to disease, and measure subsequent psychological and behavioral changes known to promote risky decision-making. The proposed research promises to offer important new theoretical advances to numerous fields including social, health, evolutionary, clinical, and personality psychology, decision making science, and psychoneuroimmunology. This research will yield important new insights into factors that promote a variety of risky decisions that lead to risk-taking behaviors among those people who are most vulnerable to the ill effects of these behaviors.
