A comparative approach to protective behavior

We examined the determinants of protective behaviors (PBs) against health and property risks. Subjects answered questions about how much they engaged in each of several PBs (DoIt), the badness and probability of the event that each PB prevents, and the effectiveness and difficulty of the PB. We compared the expected utility for each PB from these judgments with the ratings of DoIt. Some of the differences may arise from a perceived budget constraint on PBs. This explanation is supported by the result of a framing manipulation: DoIt ratings were higher for a given PB presented as a member of a set of 3 PBs than a set of 7. Comparing preferences for adopting different PBs within an individual permits the discovery of inconsistencies. The paper concludes by suggesting interventions to increase people’s adoption of those PBs perceived to have the highest cost-effectiveness.