West LA Times

Researchers from UCLA and Oklahoma State University have uncovered insights into how people assess trustworthiness, even in the face of betrayal. Their study, published in Evolution and Human Behavior, challenges the conventional wisdom that betrayal automatically diminishes trustworthiness.

The researchers conducted a series of experiments to explore this phenomenon across different types of relationships: friendships, romantic partnerships, and professional interactions. They found that while individuals generally view those who betray others as less trustworthy, this perception changes when the betrayal benefits them or has no adverse effect on them.

"Making decisions about whom to trust based only on whether that person has betrayed someone else might not be the best way to determine whether or not I can trust someone," said Jaimie Krems, co-author of the study and a psychology professor at UCLA. Krems elaborated with an example: "Think about that friend who always tells you other friends’ secrets but doesn’t share yours. This friend is betraying other people but enriching you with information."

The research involved participants reading scenarios where they interacted with a target who exhibited varying levels of betrayal. The scenarios included sharing secrets among friends, romantic infidelity, and international relations involving CIA agents. Participants then rated the target's trustworthiness based on these interactions.

Consistently across all relationship types studied, participants deemed targets more trustworthy if they did not betray anyone. However, when betrayal was beneficial to participants, they still considered the betrayer trustworthy.

These findings suggest that judgments of trustworthiness are influenced by both a person's general disposition and specific factors related to individual interactions. The study highlights how self-interest can shape practical decisions about whom to trust.

This research was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation.