Table 1 List of the 15 items composing the perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) scale and its two dimensions (Perceived infectability, Germ aversion).

1. It really bothers me when people sneeze without covering their mouths.

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2. If an illness is ‘going around’, I will get it.

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3. I am comfortable sharing a water bottle with a friend. (reverse-scored)

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4. I do not like to write with a pencil someone else has obviously chewed on.

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5. My past experiences make me believe I am not likely to get sick even when my friends are sick. (reverse-scored)

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6. I have a history of susceptibility to infectious disease.

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7. I prefer to wash my hands pretty soon after shaking someone’s hand.

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8. In general, I am very susceptible to colds, flu and other infectious diseases.

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9. I dislike wearing used clothes because you do not know what the last person who wore it was like.

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10. I am more likely than the people around me to catch an infectious disease.

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11. My hands do not feel dirty after touching money. (reverse-scored)

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12. I am unlikely to catch a cold, flu or other illness, even if it is ‘going around’. (reverse-scored)

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13. It does not make me anxious to be around sick people. (reverse-scored)

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14. My immune system protects me from most illnesses that other people get. (reverse-scored)

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15. I avoid using public telephones because of the risk that I may catch something from the previous user.

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