Showing that you helped others brought more yeses to hosting requests
Study-created profiles with references describing help received more immediate yeses on an online hospitality network. Neutral praise drew fewer acceptances.
The key idea
A concrete history of helping mattered more than general praise, at least in this online community.
The study, in plain language
The team created eight profiles for an online hospitality community using names and photos of real people who gave permission. Some profiles described the person as having helped others. The rest had equally positive references, but described a friendship without that helping experience. The team designed the text, and ten existing community members posted references following instructions. Researchers then randomly assigned which profile sent each lodging request.
Requests with a history of helping received more immediate acceptances and more responses in an analysis adjusted for other factors. In a separate, non-randomized analysis, researchers compared whether prospective hosts with more references indicating that they had received hospitality accepted more requests. They found no such association. There are limits: only eight profiles, with different photos, were used, and community administrators ended the study early. The results do not show what drove each response or whether a yes led to an actual stay.
What they found
- Profiles with a helping history received more immediate acceptances than profiles with neutral praise.
- They also received more responses overall in an analysis adjusted for other factors.
- The observational analysis found no evidence that prospective hosts with more references for hospitality they had received responded more favorably.
How they studied it
Researchers randomized which of eight study-created profiles, using real identities whose owners gave permission, sent each lodging request. Positive references described helping others or a neutral friendship. Separately, they observed whether the number of references that a host had received was associated with responses, without randomly assigning that experience.
What the study cannot show
- Eight profiles with different photos were used, and administrators withdrew some earlier than planned. Responses do not reveal the reason for each decision or show that a stay took place.
Something to think about
When you read a recommendation, what carries more weight: general praise or something specific the person did for others? The study does not show that sharing this history guarantees a place to stay.
The original study
Indirect Reciprocity; A Field Experiment
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
