Study finds relationship value shapes willingness to accept infection risk
A PNAS study surveyed 42,756 people across 61 communities about contact scenarios involving possible infection transmission. Participants reported more comfort with infection risk when the other person was someone they valued highly, such as a close friend. The pattern appeared across cultures, though environmental pathogen levels also influenced risk behavior.
Researchers surveyed 42,756 participants across 61 communities spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. They asked people to consider four social targets—a closest friend, an acquaintance, a stranger, or someone strongly disliked—and rate comfort with potentially germ-transmitting contact, including sharing a water bottle, sitting close enough for legs to touch, or touching during a greeting.
Across societies, higher interpersonal value tracked with greater acceptance of infection-related contact. Societal factors such as past disease prevalence, individualism, and social norms mattered less than relationship value. Historical pathogen exposure was linked to slightly lower comfort mainly for highly valued contacts, while differences for low-value relationships were minimal.
This finding may inform how public health guidance is framed, since people could weigh infection risk differently depending on whom they are near. Families, workplaces, schools, and community groups may be affected if close relationships make precautions harder to sustain. Messaging that acknowledges social bonds could improve cooperation, while ignoring them may reduce adherence. Actual impact may vary with local pathogen conditions and individual circumstances.