“Take action, buddy!”: Self–other differences in passive risk-taking for health and safety

Abstract

Not getting vaccinated or an annual physical examination are examples of passive risk-taking. The present research investigates whether people choose differently for themselves or for others in passive risk-taking for health and safety. The results of seven studies (N = 2304, including two preregistered studies) provided reliable evidence that, compared with personal decision-makers, advisors were more inclined to recommend that others act to prevent risk, representing a self–other decision difference. This effect arose from personal decision-makers assigning greater weight to feasibility and less weight to desirability than advisors. Correspondingly, this difference was reduced when the feasibility level was higher. Understanding self–other differences in passive risk-taking and the underlying mechanisms may aid in designing campaigns to promote individual participation or even contribute to policy enforcement efforts.