Mental models/Pratfall Effect
Trust & Safety

Pratfall Effect

Elliot Aronson's finding that a highly competent person or brand becomes more likeable after committing a minor blunder, as it makes them seem more human.

In plain language

Admitting a minor flaw or weakness increases likability and trust, particularly for high-competence entities. Brands that acknowledge limitations feel more honest.

In the wild

Implementations of this model aren’t wired to this view yet — they live in the implementations table.

Related modelsTrust & Safety
Authority Bias
Trust & Safety
Halo Effect
Trust & Safety
Mere Exposure Effect
Trust & Safety
Reciprocity
Trust & Safety