Personal experience trumps public reputation when people judge others' refusals

Phys · Sep 25, 2026 · 584 words · By Rissho University

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What to know about Personal experience trumps public reputation when people judge others' refusals

The article describes a study by Professor Hitoshi Yamamoto of Rissho University regarding how individuals evaluate others' refusals to cooperate. The findings suggest that personal experience with a person carries more weight than that person's public reputation when judging non-cooperative behavior.

Propaganda risk 0%

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Personal experience trumps public reputation when people judge others' refusals Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor A research team led by Professor Hitoshi Yamamoto of Rissho University experimentally examined how people evaluate others…

Why it matters

14, 2026, in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

Common ground

In human societies, people often rely on reputation when deciding whom to help or cooperate with.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Personal experience trumps public reputation when people judge others' refusals?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that A research team led by Professor Hitoshi Yamamoto of Rissho University experimentally examined how people evaluate others when a person's public reputation conflicts with their own experience with that person?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-personal-trumps-reputation-people.html

analyticsAnalysis

Propaganda Score

confidence: 100%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5

check_circle Corroborated 3

verified Verified By Reference 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “A research team led by Professor Hitoshi Yamamoto of Rissho University experimentally examined how people evaluate others when a person's public reputation conflicts with their own experience with that person.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results explicitly state that a research team led by Professor Hitoshi Yamamoto of Rissho University examined how people evaluate others when public reputation conflicts with personal experience.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (東京外国語大学, Tōkyō Gaikokugo Daigaku), often referred to as TUFS, is a specialist national research university in Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan. TUFS is primarily devoted to for…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_University_of_Foreign_St…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Komazawa University (駒澤大学, Komazawa Daigaku), abbreviated as 駒大 Komadai, is a private university in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. Its history starts in 1592, when a seminary was established to be a center o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komazawa_University

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A research team led by Professor Hitoshi Yamamoto of Rissho University experimentally examined how people evaluate others when a person's public reputation conflicts with their own experience with tha…
https://phys.org/news/2026-09-personal-trumps-reputation-peo…

+ 2 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “cooperative behavior was generally evaluated positively regardless of the other person's reputation or the participant's own experience with them.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of adult website links and is completely irrelevant to the claim.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Pornhub provides you with unlimited free porn videos with the hottest pornstars. Enjoy the largest amateur porn community on the net as well as full-length scenes from the top XXX studios.
https://www.pornhub.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — XVIDEOS Free Porn Videos XVideos.com is a free hosting service for porn videos. We convert your files to various formats. You can grab our 'embed code' to display any video on another website. Every v…
https://www.xvideos.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Treat yourself to porn videos instantly. Watch the most sexually arousing free porn of 2026 here on xHamster, because you deserve to get the best orgasms!
https://xhamster.com/tags/porn

info

Claim 3: “The researchers conducted two scenario-based experiments with participants in Japan, using situations involving coworkers at a restaurant and neighbors in a community.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence includes a YouTube video about Japan, a Pomodoro timer, and a game modification, none of which mention the specific experiments involving restaurant coworkers or neighbors.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In this video, we explore the two faces of Japan, on one hand a futuristic wonderland with bullet trains, anime, and unmatched discipline. On the other, a deeply troubled society battling loneliness, …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dTGeC2gMwI

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — An aesthetic Pomodoro timer to keep you focused and motivated. Customize your study timer and choose from a variety of aesthetic themes.
https://studywithme.io/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Scenario+ - самая первая русскоязычная модификация для Age of Civilizations 2 и Age of Civilizations 1. Здесь вас ждет: - Обильное количество идеологий на любой вкус и цвет, - Более 8100 возможных вар…
https://vk.ru/scenario_aoc2

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Claim 4: “even when that person had a good reputation, the refusal was evaluated more positively if the person had previously refused to help the participant.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search snippets explicitly state that when a person had a good reputation, the refusal was evaluated more positively if the person had previously refused to help the participant.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Conversely, even when that person had a good reputation, the refusal was evaluated more positively if the person had previously refused to help the participant.
https://phys.org/news/2026-09-personal-trumps-reputation-peo…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Continue with Facebook. New to Replit? Sign up. Get help. Creativity runs on Replit.
https://replit.com/login?source=home&goto=/~

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Cape of Good Hope SPCA extended its appreciation to the community members who refused to look away. It was because of their concern, their reports, and even the simple act of getting food to her t…
https://www.goodthingsguy.com/neighbours-refused-to-look-awa…

verified

Claim 5: “Hitoshi Yamamoto et al, Direct experience overrides reputation in evaluations of defection in indirect reciprocity, Evolution and Human Behavior (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2026.106980”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided Wikipedia evidence discusses Aya Hirano, the Japan Academy Prize, and Jōmon people, none of which relate to the specific paper or DOI mentioned in the claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Aya Hirano (平野綾, Hirano Aya; born October 8, 1987) is a Japanese actress and singer. Beginning in the entertainment industry as a child actor in television commercials, she appeared in her first voic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aya_Hirano

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Japan Academy Prize (日本学士院賞) is a prize awarded by the Japan Academy in recognition of academic theses, books, and achievements.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Academy_Prize_(academics…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Jōmon (Japanese: 縄文) were a prehistoric hunter-gatherer culture that inhabited the Japanese archipelago between approximately 14,000 BC and 300 BC, following which they were largely assimilated by…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jōmon_people

info

Claim 6: “even when that person had a bad public reputation, the refusal was evaluated more negatively if the person had previously helped the participant.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web search result mentions the inverse of this claim (good reputation/previous refusal), but the specific claim about bad reputation/previous help is not explicitly corroborated by a second independent source in the provided text, although it appears to be part of the same study mentioned in Claim 0.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In the study, participants were asked to taste a meat snack. Afterwards, they read about another participant who refused — either for moral reasons (“I don’t eat meat for because it’s wrong”) or for n…
https://behavioraltimes.com/why-moral-refusers-are-disliked/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Every difficult day brings a new challenge, yet she presses on, refusing to give up. This is more than just a story of struggle and hardship; it is a story of a mother’s love, sacrifice, courage, and …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg70vo1ekhc

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Claim 7: “The study was published Sept. 14, 2026, in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search snippets confirm the publication date of September 14, 2026, in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Human behavior is the potential and expressed capacity (mentally, physically, and socially) of human individuals or groups to respond to internal and external stimuli throughout their life. Behavior i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_behavior

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Homo sapiens is a distinct species of the hominid family of primates, which includes all the great apes. Over their evolutionary history, humans gradually developed traits such as bipedalism, dexterit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_evolution

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES) is an interdisciplinary, international society of researchers, primarily from the social and biological sciences, who use modern evolutionary theory to …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Behavior_and_Evolution_S…

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 8: “the study also found that even when the person being refused had a bad reputation and had previously refused to cooperate with the participant... the refusal itself was evaluated neutrally rather than positively.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.

info

Claim 9: “The results showed that evaluations of a refusal varied depending on the participant's prior experience with the person whose request was refused.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant adult-content search results regarding Caroline Proust.

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web search NEUTRAL — Caroline Proust nude – 19 hot photos and uncensored nude pics. Discover naked celebrity galleries with exclusive shots, rare pics, and steamy scenes from her movies and TV shows (18+).
https://celebnic.com/celebrities/caroline-proust/

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web search NEUTRAL — Find out if Caroline Proust was ever nude, where to look for her nude pictures and how old was she when she first got naked.
https://www.nudography.com/Celebrities/caroline_proust.aspx

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web search NEUTRAL — Watch Free Caroline Proust Nude – Pics and Videos. Caroline Proust is the very hot celebrity with perfect titties. You can find nude or sexy scenes with...
https://nudebase.com/celebs/caroline-proust-nude/

info

Claim 10: “This reputation-based mechanism for supporting cooperation is known as indirect reciprocity.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of unrelated materials management and pedagogical resources in Portuguese and does not mention indirect reciprocity or the study.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Materiais prontos, editáveis e pedagógicos para facilitar o seu dia a dia na sala de aula ou em casa.
https://pequenolobato.com.br/

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web search NEUTRAL — Ele explica que a administração de materiais visa garantir o fornecimento contínuo dos materiais necessários para as atividades da empresa de maneira oportuna, na quantidade certa, qualidade requerida…
https://pt.scribd.com/document/704210122/Aula-01-Administrac…

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web search NEUTRAL — Em resumo, o Planejamento de Materiais é uma ferramenta essencial para equilibrar os estoques e garantir a disponibilidade dos materiais necessários na produção.
https://lean-scheduling.com.br/conteudo/como-o-planejamento-…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.