do you have any published papers on this? or, what are the top papers on the topic? 

That’s an interesting coincidence. Yes, the desire to receive credit seems almost immoral in some circumstances. I wonder if it has to do with the Christian roots that cousin_it is pointing to below. Other cultures have different attitudes. I recall reading about Viking rituals called Bragas. After a battle, the clan would gather around a table, feast, drink and each warrior would brag mightily about their heroic deeds. If they couldn’t brag well (claim credit), they would be laughed at.

And thank you for your thoughts - after writing this, I came across your post on how “The best frequently don't rise to the top.” It struck me as quite related to this. I’d say that in your own words, you were writing about the delta between merit and credit. Or that’s how I read it.

Thank you. Yes, agreed, that’s a significantly older instance. I wonder if we would find this also trickled down into Christianity from other ancient religions.