The Phenomenon of Hindsight Bias in Legislative Decision-Making and Its Correction: A Case Study of the Revision of the Prohibition on Wildlife Consumption in the Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China

Legislative decision-making driven by specific events is inevitably influenced by hindsight bias. In response to the zoonotic hypothesis during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, China swiftly enacted a comprehensive policy prohibiting the consumption of wildlife. While this policy effectively addressed legislative gaps and mitigated foodborne public health risks in the short term, the influence of hindsight bias resulted in issues such as excessive regulation and the neglect of other contributing factors during the legislative process. Subsequent research questioning the scientific validity of the zoonotic hypothesis prompted China to revise the Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, aiming to correct the bias by eliminating the interference of outcome-driven reasoning. However, the revised law has yet to fully overcome the negative effects of hindsight bias, falling short of adequately addressing both theoretical and practical demands.