Researchers discovered that people do not always view betrayal as a sign of unreliability.

The concept of trust plays a crucial role in the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of friendships, marriages, and other partnerships. This is true on both small and large scales — for instance, at the level of a country.

It seems intuitive that individuals assess others based on whether they have betrayed their partners in the past. However, many have likely encountered double standards in such matters: for example, in the case of marital infidelity. If a partner who has betrayed their spouse ultimately ends the relationship and leaves for a lover, they expect fidelity from their new partner, just as the latter expects loyalty in return.

Researchers from the universities of Oklahoma and California sought to gain deeper insights into the concept of trust among individuals. Their study was published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

The specialists conducted a series of six experiments involving 1,718 adult participants. Participants were asked to read one of three vignettes describing interactions with another person and mentally engage in the experiment. The first scenario involved sharing secrets with friends, the second focused on infidelity between romantic partners, and the third dealt with interactions in the context of international relations, where participants acted as CIA agents attempting to "recruit" a French official as a source of information for the U.S.

The experimenters reached intriguing conclusions. They found that participants never betrayed anyone when given the opportunity. However, when such an opportunity was absent, they tended to perform an "act" of dishonesty in the presence of another person.

As expected, in all types of relationships presented, participants considered individuals who had not betrayed anyone to be more reliable compared to those who had committed such acts. However, not all "traitors" were evaluated equally by the participants. When the dishonest act benefited the latter, they still regarded the individual as trustworthy.

This pattern was significantly evident in friendships, romantic relationships, and professional connections. The researchers concluded that while people may be guided by high ideals, often, when it comes to trust, they make judgments based on personal interests and benefits.