The Framing of Competence

Abstract

The challenge of how to appear competent (to oneself and others) is closely tied to the attributional relationship between ability (can) and effort (try). Data are presented to support the layperson's understanding of the discounting principle that describes this relationship: Holding performance constant, the lower the apparent effort and the more difficult the task, the greater the attributed ability. It is proposed that people in our culture attach great value to the appearance of basic, or "natural," ability. Depending on available opportunities, people will withdraw effort, emphasize task difficulty, and even handicap themselves to protect their competence image. Experimental results also make clear that self-promoters must avoid claims that are refutable, excessive, or seen as out of context.