The interplay of social constraints and individual variation in risk tolerance in the emergence of superspreaders

Source Publication

Journal of the Royal Society

Authors

Earl Carr, University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow
Matthew J. Young, University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow
Matthew J. Silk, The University of EdinburghFollow
Alexander J. Pritchard, University of California, DavisFollow
Nina F. Fefferman, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Rutgers University

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2023.0077

Abstract

Individual host behaviours can drastically impact the spread of infection through a population. Differences in the value individuals place on both socializing with others and avoiding infection have been shown to yield emergent homophily in social networks and thereby shape epidemic outcomes. We build on this understanding to explore how individuals who do not conform to their social surroundings contribute to the propagation of infection during outbreaks. We show how non-conforming individuals, even if they do not directly expose a disproportionate number of other individuals themselves, can become functional superspreaders through an emergent social structure that positions them as the functional links by which infection jumps between otherwise separate communities. Our results can help estimate the potential success of real-world interventions that may be compromised by a small number of non-conformists if their impact is not anticipated, and plan for how best to mitigate their effects on intervention success.

Recommended Citation

Carr, Earl; Young, Matthew J.; Silk, Matthew J.; Pritchard, Alexander J.; and Fefferman, Nina F., "The interplay of social constraints and individual variation in risk tolerance in the emergence of superspreaders" (2024). Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_ecolpubs/89

Submission Type

Post-print