Money or health? The effect of pathogen avoidance motives and life history strategies on health-economic trade-offs during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused governments and individuals to face important but difficult trade-offs between health and the economy. How do individuals choose between health and economic outcomes during the pandemic? Based on the behavioural immune system (BIS) theory and the life history (LH) theory, the present study examined the effects of individual differences in pathogen disgust sensitivity and life history strategy on people's health-economic trade-offs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of an online study (N = 300) showed that people with higher pathogen disgust sensitivity felt less sense of control during the pandemic, and therefore chose health-related options over economic-related options. In addition, the association between pathogen disgust sensitivity and health outcome preference only existed in people with relatively faster life history strategies. Further, people's health-economic trade-offs were not influenced by their current economic status. Findings have important implications for policymakers and the public to understand people's health-economic choices during the pandemic.