Improving the Effectiveness of Intergroup Apologies: The Role of Apology Content and Moral Emotions

Abstract

We report three studies reported in which we examined how changing the content of an intergroup apology affects how the apology is received. In Study 1, we investigated how emphasizing structural, relational, or identity-related factors influenced reactions to an apology from a large group, a small group, and from an individual. There was limited evidence that these apology variations affected the way in which the two group apologies were received, but there were large differences in the individual apology condition, where the influence of these factors was mediated by perceptions of the transgressor. In Studies 2 and 3, we combined all three apology factors into an apology from a large group, comparing this with a control condition in which none of these factors was included. We also manipulated the expression of remorse (Study 2) and of shame and guilt (Study 3) emotion in the apology. Including the apology factors increased forgiveness, an effect again mediated by perceptions of the transgressor. Higher expression of remorse, guilt, and (especially) shame also increased forgiveness, relative to control conditions. The implications for enhancing the effectiveness of intergroup apologies are discussed.