Citation

Jehle A, Miller MK, Kemmelmeier M, Maskaly J. J. Soc. Psychol. 2012; 152(6): 727-745.

Affiliation

R&D Strategic Solutions, New York, NY 10019, USA. alaynajehle@yahoo.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

23057192

Abstract

Apologies are important in social interactions. Study 1 investigated participants' reactions after being insulted by a confederate and receiving no apology, a voluntary apology, a coerced apology with consequences (i.e., explicitly coerced apology), or a coerced apology without consequences (i.e., implicitly coerced apology). Receiving any apology produced more positive perceptions of the offender and less serious recommended punishments than no apology. Study 2 replicated Study 1, except participants read about the insult and imagined being a victim (instead of being an actual victim as in Study 1). Actual victims distinguished between types of apologies while hypothetical victims did not. Results have implications for court-ordered apologies.

Language: en