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Why women apologize more than men: gender differences in thresholds for perceiving offensive behavior
Karina Schumann1, Michael Ross
1University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2l 3G1. kschuman@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca
Psychological Science
|September 22, 2010
Summary
Women apologize more often than men, but this is because they commit more offenses, not because men are less likely to apologize. Men perceive offenses as less severe, leading to fewer apologies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Gender Studies
Background:
- A common stereotype suggests women apologize more frequently than men.
- Limited empirical evidence exists to support this stereotype or its proposed psychological underpinnings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender differences in apology behavior.
- To explore the underlying reasons for any observed gender disparities in apologies.
Main Methods:
- Study 1 utilized daily diary entries where participants recorded offenses committed and experienced, noting if apologies were offered.
- Study 2 experimentally tested the 'offense threshold hypothesis' by having participants rate the severity of various offenses.
Main Results:
- Women reported more apologies but also committed more offenses; the proportion of offenses leading to apologies did not differ by gender.
- Men rated offenses as less severe than women, which predicted lower perceived need for apology and fewer actual apologies.
Conclusions:
- Gender differences in apology frequency may stem from differing perceptions of offense severity rather than a greater male tendency to avoid apologies.
- Men's higher threshold for what constitutes an offense likely explains their lower apology rates.
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