Signalling need for care: a neglected functional role of medical treatment.
Mícheál de BarraKawthar HakimyMarijn de BruinPublished in: Evolution, medicine, and public health (2023)
These results indicate that people make decisions to provide care in part based on the presence or absence of treatment and furthermore that patients' treatment decision-making is informed by the social consequences of their choices. Signalling theory may help explain the surprising longevity of some ineffective and costly medical procedures.