1 / 13

Showing That You Care The Evolution of Health Altruism

Showing That You Care The Evolution of Health Altruism. Robin Hanson George Mason University Public Choice 2000. Talk Overview. Medicine low marginal health value Idea: loved ones push, to show care Theory approach seek few assumptions explain much evolutionary psychology

idola-swanson
Download Presentation

Showing That You Care The Evolution of Health Altruism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Showing That You CareThe Evolution of Health Altruism Robin Hanson George Mason University Public Choice 2000

  2. Talk Overview • Medicine low marginal health value • Idea: loved ones push, to show care • Theory approach • seek few assumptions explain much • evolutionary psychology • Non-obvious results inform policy

  3. RAND Health Insure Experiment • 2000 families ‘74-’82, random vary copay • Free care (vs. pay) gave • MORE spending (25-30%), glasses, fillings, “restricted activity days,” appropriate visits • SAME deaths, general health index, physical functioning, physiologic measures, health practices, satisfaction, appropriate therapy • LESS blood pressure? (mortality: ~1% = 7wks)

  4. Contrasting Magnitudes 3617 adults, die in 7.5yrs [Lantz et. Al. JAMA 6/3/98]

  5. Evolutionary Psychology • Our preferences, behavior adapted to hunter-gatherer environment • Illuminates mating, parenting … • eat too much fat, sugar, salt • women live longer than men

  6. Old Ways to Show Allegiance Groom, gossip, share food, visit, host visitors, adopt customs, make home, wedding/funeral, war, revenge kill, injury care, ... • Many signals lost, substitution hard • Evolved focus on long-term signals

  7. Analogy: Christmas Fruitcake • Nice if tasty, but goal is to show care • Size from exclude uncaring, not hunger • Mainly shared quality signals matter • Difference: hard to customize medicine

  8. Ally Concern group = correlated allies status = more better allies Private Info want long-lasting allies want appear high status Altruism for show Medicine low value esp. high status Neglect quality info unless publicly accepted Assumptions Explain Phenomena

  9. Status healthy Health paternalism Esp. for low status Placebo effect Rich same care as rest of us Assume More, Explain More Allies protect from stressful crisis events

  10. help? A B q p G Two Types of Signaling Charity Social Solidarity Person to Group Group to Person “I care, so keep me.” “We care, so calm down.”

  11. Politics of Social Solidarity • National wars induce “Nation as Tribe.” • National health care to “Show Solidarity.” • First to calm worker unrest in Europe/Japan, late 1800s. • Altruism not extend beyond borders. • Votes as signal, collectively or to associates. • More when deeper wars, more homogeneity. • E.g., more in Europe, less in U.S. • E.g., more after WWII.

  12. Policy Implications • Need commonly-visible quality signals • Insure min/subsidy helps if signal risk, but hurts if signal concern (w.r.t. gene prefs) Data: no risk signal [Cawley/Philipson AER 9/99] • Need review all allegiance signals • care no longer reveals long-term allegiance

  13. Think different.

More Related