Do people change behavior when they see others getting sick differently?

Researchers modeled how people choose between following or ignoring public health measures (masks, distancing) based on watching infection rates around them. When measures work well, people see fewer infections among followers and stick with them; when outbreaks are severe, even weak interventions can dramatically cut infections because behavior shifts in response. The study reveals a feedback loop: disease patterns directly reshape individual choices, which then reshape disease patterns.