The Social Consequences of Frequent Versus Infrequent Apologizing

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Interpersonal Relationships

Background:

• Interpersonal apologies are effective, yet research often overlooks the context of a transgressor's apology baseline.
• The apology baseline, or frequency of apologizing, may influence perceptions of character and specific apologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how apology baselines affect character evaluations and reactions to specific apologies.
• To determine if individuals consider apology frequency when judging others.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted examining participants' judgments of characters and romantic partners.
• Participants evaluated individuals with high versus low apology baselines.
• Perceptions of apology quality were also assessed in relation to agency judgments.

Main Results:

• A high apology baseline was associated with higher perceived communion.
• Agency judgments were lower for high apology baselines, especially when apologies were perceived as low-quality.
• Higher communion, driven by apology baselines, indirectly led to more favorable reactions to specific apologies.

Conclusions:

• Apology baselines play a significant role in shaping interpersonal judgments and conflict resolution.
• Understanding apology frequency is crucial for evaluating character and the impact of apologies.
• Communion perceptions, influenced by apology baselines, mediate reactions to apologies.