Better late than early: The influence of timing on apology effectiveness

Two studies examined whether the timing of an apology influences its effectiveness. We hypothesized that victims who received apologies later in a conflict would feel more satisfied with the resolution of the conflict, primarily because they would have more opportunity for self-expression and would...

Full description

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of experimental social psychology Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 201 - 207
Main Authors:	Frantz, Cynthia McPherson, Bennigson, Courtney
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01-03-2005 Elsevier Academic Press
Subjects:	Apologies Biological and medical sciences Conflict resolution Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Interpersonal relations Psychological effects Psychology Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry Psychology. Psychophysiology Social interaction Social interactions. Communication. Group processes Social psychology Human Social conflict Timing Social interaction Conflict resolution Interpersonal relation
Online Access:	Get full text
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

Description
Summary:	Two studies examined whether the timing of an apology influences its effectiveness. We hypothesized that victims who received apologies later in a conflict would feel more satisfied with the resolution of the conflict, primarily because they would have more opportunity for self-expression and would feel better understood. Undergraduates provided retrospective interpersonal conflict narratives (Study 1) and responded to a hypothetical scenario (Study 2) in which they were wronged. The results showed that later apologies were more effective than earlier ones, and that this effect was mediated by feeling heard and understood. The ramifications for creating a “ripeness” or readiness for conflict resolution are discussed.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23
ISSN:	0022-1031 1096-0465
DOI:	10.1016/j.jesp.2004.07.007