Writing & docs

Writing & docs2026.09.27

Crediting a career coach for a cover letter didn't hurt trust, but crediting AI did

In 13 experiments preregistered before any data was collected, University of Arizona researchers Schilke and Reimann found that a cover letter credited to a career coach earned the same trust as one with no note at all, while only the one credited to AI lost trust. The penalty held across six ways of wording the disclosure and when disclosure was required by rule, and in the final experiment an advisor exposed by a third party scored lower still than one who disclosed it himself.

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