I see sick people : Beliefs about sensory detection of infectious disease are largely consistent across cultures
Recent Publication
An exciting international study involving Prof. Dr Stefan Steiger from the Division of Psychological Methodology shows that people around the world have similar ideas about how to recognise whether someone is ill. Over 19,000 people in 58 countries were surveyed - with a clear pattern: sight is mentioned most frequently, followed by hearing, touch, smell and taste. It is interesting to note that people primarily rely on ‘safe senses’, i.e. those that function at a distance - presumably to protect themselves.
Ackerman, J. M., Samore, T., Fessler, D. M. T., Kupfer, T. R., Choi, S., Merrell, W. N., Aarøe, L., Aavik, T., Acabado, S., Akello, G., Alfian, I. N., Al-Shawaf, L., Alvarez, M. M., Ammann, J., Arikan, G., Asha, S. A., Astobiza, A. M., Barclay, P., Barlow, F. K., ... Žeželj, I. (Accepted/In press). I see sick people: Beliefs about sensory detection of infectious disease are largely consistent across cultures. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2025.04.020
Univ.-Prof. PD Mag. Dr. Stefan Stieger
Head of
Division of Psychological Methodology