Researchers find betrayal doesn't necessarily make someone less trustworthy if we benefit

Both intuition and past research suggest that whether people deem someone trustworthy depends on that person's past behavior and reputation for betrayal. In a series of experiments, psychologists found that subjects regarded those who previously exhibited that behavior as less trustworthy. However, when the betrayal benefited them or had no effect on them, participants regarded the betrayer as trustworthy. This pattern was largely consistent across the types of relationships studied: friendships, romantic relationships and professional relationships.

Both intuition and past research suggest that whether people deem someone trustworthy depends on that person's past behavior and reputation for betrayal. In a series of experiments, psychologists found that subjects regarded those who previously exhibited that behavior as less trustworthy. However, when the betrayal benefited them or had no effect on them, participants regarded the betrayer as trustworthy. This pattern was largely consistent across the types of relationships studied: friendships, romantic relationships and professional relationships.

Read more https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250109183332.htm