Saying “I know this may seem hard to believe, but…” before a boast can make the boast land better. Across ten studies, people who were seen as lacking credibility came across as more self-aware and sincere when they openly acknowledged that doubt while promoting themselves.
The research, by Kristina A. Wald, Shereen J. Chaudhry and Jane L. Risen, appeared in the July 2024 issue of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.
When self-promotion seems unbelievable
The authors describe a common bind they call the “credibility dilemma.” Someone who is judged negatively, for example as not very competent, wants to improve that impression by highlighting their strengths, but worries that their claims will not be believed.
The team tested one response: naming the problem out loud. Their examples of such “credibility disclaimers” include “I’m not that smart, but…” and “I know this may seem hard to believe, but…”, attached to an otherwise ordinary piece of self-promotion.
It helps the doubted and backfires for the trusted
Compared with boasting without them, the disclaimers improved how the self-promoter was perceived. The ten studies traced this to two impressions: the speaker seemed more self-aware, and seemed more sincere.
The benefit depended on who was speaking. When the speaker was already seen as credible, the same disclaimers did not help and sometimes backfired.
That cuts against familiar advice about impression management. The authors conclude that the common recommendation never to draw attention to your own flaws “may sometimes be unwarranted”, at least for people whose audience already doubts them.
Study Details:
- Title: The credibility dilemma: When acknowledging a (perceived) lack of credibility can make a boast more believable
- Authors: Kristina A. Wald, Shereen J. Chaudhry, Jane L. Risen
- Journal: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Vol. 183, Article 104351
- Publication Date: July 2024
- DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2024.104351