Inductive reasoning influences perception of interspecies disease transmission risk

Zoonoses (diseases that enter the human population via animal contact) are a major global health concern. Because of how zoonoses emerge, understanding human reasoning about the risk factors associated with animal contact is central to combating their spread. However, little is known about the factors that influence perception of these risks. We present an inductive account of zoonosis risk perception, suggesting that it is influenced by beliefs about the range of animals that are able to transmit diseases to each other. In Study 1, we find that participants who endorse higher likelihoods of cross-species disease transmission have stronger intention to report animal bites. In Study 2, adapting real world descriptions of Ebola virus from the WHO and CDC, we find that communications conveying a broader range of animals as susceptible to a disease increase intentions to report animal bites and decrease perceived safety of wild game meat. These findings suggest that cognitive factors may be harnessed to modulate zoonosis risk perception and combat emerging infectious diseases.