Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 119, Issue 30, Pages -Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118548119
Keywords
trust; impression management; ability; experiments
Categories
Funding
- Eller College Small Grant
- National Science Foundation CAREER Award [1943688]
- Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRiSS) at Stanford University
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The effects of self-promotion on trust are not universally positive, especially for individuals with high ability. Self-promotion may backfire and decrease the perceived benevolence and integrity of a trustee, leading to a lower level of trust placed in that actor.
Are competent actors still trusted when they promote themselves? The answer to this question could have far-reaching implications for understanding trust production in a variety of economic exchange settings in which ability and impression management play vital roles, from succeeding in one's job to excelling in the sales of goods and services. Much social science research assumes an unconditional positive impact of an actor's ability on the trust placed in that actor: in other words, competence breeds trust. In this report, however, we challenge this assumption. Across a series of experiments, we manipulated both the ability and the self-promotion of a trustee and measured the level of trust received. Employing both online laboratory studies (n = 5,606) and a field experiment (n = 101,520), we find that impression management tactics (i.e., selfpromotion and intimidation) can substantially backfire, at least for those with high ability. An explanation for this effect is encapsuled in attribution theory, which argues that capable actors are held to higher standards in terms of how kind and honest they are expected to be. Consistent with our social attribution account, mediation analyses show that competence combined with self-promotion decreases the trustee's perceived benevolence and integrity and, in turn, the level of trust placed in that actor.
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