Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
Accepting a contract with a high performance sensitivity is normally interpreted as a signal of high ability. However, a high self-assessment may be an incompetent forecast by an incompetent worker. In a model where optimistic agents have low ability, a low performance sensitivity screens out the incompetent agents. However, when agents are wealthy enough, the principal prefers to select the incompetent agent who covers the downside (as in a vanity press).