A Negative Reputation Reduces Trust Despite Trustworthy Behavior.

ABSTRACT: Interpersonal trust decisions are guided by reputation. However, it remains unclear how positive and negative prior reputations that are inconsistent with a partner's behavior are integrated at the behavioral and neural levels and how this informs daily trust decisions. In this two-part study, 54 subjects first played an iterated 20-trial Trust Game with four anonymous partners introduced as "cooperative" or "individualistic" while EEG was recorded. The partners' behavior then either confirmed or contradicted this prior reputation. Subsequently, the subjects completed a three-day ecological assessment measuring trust in daily interactions. According to the results, negative prior reputations were associated with fewer trust decisions, even after being contradicted by cooperative behavior.

SUBMITTER: Stenzel K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12214295 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature