r/science • u/umichnews • 2d ago

Psychology U-Michigan study finds most Americans prioritized preventing child abuse, domestic violence, and deaths linked to economic hardship over preventing additional COVID-19 deaths during lockdowns; researchers say these preferences highlight the need to balance disease prevention with other societal harm

https://news.umich.edu/americans-prioritized-preventing-lockdown-harms-over-covid-19-deaths/
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u/umichnews 2d ago

I've linked to the press release in the above post. For those interested, here's the study: Pandemic tradeoffs: US residents’ perceptions of detrimental outcomes associated with COVID lockdowns (DOI: 10.1111/asap.70025)

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u/Effective_Factor1661 2d ago

From that link:

Summary

In sum, most participants chose to prevent the adverse outcomes associated with COVID restrictions–rather than COVID deaths–in each choice they encountered. Generally, both those who did and those who did not have experience with the adverse outcome, both conservatives and liberals, and both people over and under 65, chose to prevent the adverse outcome associated with the COVID restrictions rather than COVID deaths. In only one case was there a reversal, with older adults very slightly (51%) preferring to prevent deaths from COVID over deaths from economic decline.

That's interesting. I'd expect people over 65 to be more concerned about COVID deaths than other adverse outcomes.

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u/lanternhead 2d ago

I think most 65yos (and pretty much everyone else) would willingly die a decade early if it meant that young people could avoid having their future career and education messed up. I certainly would 

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u/Vox_Causa 2d ago

Notably you won't vote Democrat to prevent child abuse or make sure education is decently funded.