Risk decisions in social dilemmas regarding day care

How can an individual's decisions under uncertainty be altered so that the individual not only considers personal but also the social effects of the available alternatives? During the COVID19 pandemic the decision of parents to keep sick children at home, even with mild symptoms, is an example of a decision with personal and public effects. Parents have to consider the cost of taking a sick day and the social benefit of preventing possible infections. When facing this decision parents might not consider the negative social effect and therefore maximize personal outcomes. This poses the question which interventions alter decisions under uncertainty in order to maximize social welfare. Two general ways to increase the salience of effects on others can be distinguished: a focus on a specific individual or a focus on general social costs. The objective of the proposed project is to investigate the effectiveness of three interventions (general information about COVID-19, empathy induction through the focus on an individual and mental simulation of costs for others) to increase the likelihood that parents keep sick children at home (Phome).