Reputation-based partner choice is a better way to encourage cooperation than indirect reciprocity in social dilemmas. By choosing cooperative partners, people can increase their own cooperation and benefits. In a study comparing the two methods, it was found that public goods game contributions increased more with competitive altruism than with indirect reciprocity. Investing in reputation by contributing to public goods led to higher returns in subsequent games. This shows that building a good reputation through competitive altruism is an effective way to restore cooperation in social dilemmas.