The "Kiss the Boo-Boo" Effect: Medicine and Conspicuous Caring

Today we delve into the surprising world of cognitive science and explore the hidden motives behind our medical behaviors. We'll examine the idea that modern medicine functions, in part, as a conspicuous caring ritual, an elaborate adult version of "kiss the boo-boo," where patients seek not just healing, but also a demonstration of support. We'll discuss how this "conspicuous caring hypothesis" impacts our medical choices. Even though medicine is often effective, the desire to show care (and to be seen as cared for) leads to the overconsumption of medicine. We'll see how people often prefer expensive, technically complicated medical care over simple, cheap remedies. This can be seen in the way people often focus on public signs of medical quality, like the prestige of a doctor's school, rather than private information such as patient outcomes. We will also discuss how people are reluctant to openly question medical quality or seek second opinions, even when mistakes are common. We'll also consider the evolutionary roots of these behaviors. In ancestral conditions, caring for the sick and injured was crucial, and providing support acted as an advertisement of one's value as an ally. We'll look at historical examples, where even harmful treatments were sought as a demonstration of caring. Finally, we'll analyze modern medical spending data and discuss how our focus on dramatic health crises may be driven by a desire to maximize social credit for giving and receiving care. We will explore research suggesting that, despite spending a great deal on medicine, more spending does not necessarily result in better health outcomes. Source: The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life by Kevin Simler & Robin Hanson