UC Riverside

Reputation consists of what is said or believed about a person by those who know the person. Our reputation may affect the opportunities available to us and the way others treat us. The current research reports a series of six studies (total N = 2116) used to develop and validate a self-report questionnaire assessing people’s interest in their reputations and their efforts to manage their reputations. The first step in item development relied on open-ended responses to questions relating to reputation interest and management. Using a rational/factor-analytic approach and multiple samples, a two-scale (Concern, Knowledge) Reputation Interest measure and a four-scale (Discretion, Objecting, Masquerading, Support Seeking) Reputation Management measure were produced. Theory-relevant relationships between these multidimensional reputation scales and Big Five personality traits, well-being, and various interpersonal personality characteristics demonstrated validity of the reputation scales. For example, scores on the Masquerading scale (measuring a tendency to present a false appearance of oneself) were positively associated with measures of neuroticism, manipulativeness, approval motivation, and dependency, and negatively associated with a measure of conscientiousness. In the final study, agreement of informant reports and target reports on respective dimensions of reputation interest and management contributed to demonstrating validity of the multidimensional reputation scales. These informant reports also provided information regarding the reputation of target participants. For example, targets who score high on the Knowledge scale (measuring the degree to which one believes to have an awareness of one’s reputation) are reputed by informants to have a higher level of extraversion, agreeableness, openness, and peer acceptance. The value of the reputation scales in providing a broader personological picture is discussed as are other potential benefits of the scales.