# Multiple Reputations: Selective Attention to Competence and Character

## TL;DR

People selectively use reputation cues like helpfulness or competence based on the task, but high competence and helpfulness together are most preferred.

## Contribution

This study shows that people adaptively use task-relevant reputational cues and highlights asymmetric spillover effects between competence and helpfulness.

## Key findings

- Participants use helpfulness cues when it affects their payoffs.
- Competence becomes the primary cue when it is most relevant to outcomes.
- High competence and helpfulness together lead to a preference for cooperation, regardless of task.

## Abstract

Reputation is multidimensional, with some traits being more relevant than others in particular contexts. Can people selectively respond to reputational cues relevant to the task at hand? Across three studies, we examined how people weigh cues about helpfulness and competence when forming expectations about strangers’ behavior. Using adapted investment games, we varied whether a stranger’s helpfulness or competence predicted participants’ future payoffs. We found that when helpfulness is task-relevant (Experiments 1 and 2), participants correctly use this cue in investment decisions. When competence matters most (Experiment 3), participants use it as the primary cue. Overall, a high reputation for outcome-irrelevant characteristics did not compensate for a low reputation for the outcome-relevant reputational cue. However, we also find an asymmetric spillover: Decision-makers prefer cooperating with others who are highly competent and highly helpful, regardless of task demands. We discuss our results within the theoretical framework of person perception and theories of reputation.