Relational Mobility and the Sharing of Positive and Negative Reputation Across Societies

The sharing and use of reputational information about others are fundamental to human society. However, little is known about how such communication varies across socio-ecological conditions. Here, we examine how relational mobility, a socio-ecological factor representing the degree of freedom and opportunity individuals have to form and leave interpersonal relationships, shapes the sharing of reputational information in society. We conducted three cross-societal surveys in the United States and Japan (total N = 930). Participants reported their perceptions of how positive and negative reputational information is exchanged in their society (Studies 1a, 1b, and 2) and, in Study 2, their own communication of positive and negative reputational information in everyday life. Across studies, relational mobility was positively associated with the perception and communication of positive reputational information and negatively associated with the perception and communication of negative reputational information. These findings highlight the importance of considering the socio-ecological contexts in which reputational information is produced and exchanged when studying reputation-based psychological processes and behaviours, including cooperation.