The document discusses apologies and strategies for making effective apologies. It outlines five strategies including expressing apology, acknowledging responsibility, providing explanation, offering repair, and promising non-recurrence. It also discusses factors that can influence apologies like familiarity, authority, age, gender and culture. Research on gender differences in apologies is presented, finding females more often acknowledge responsibility while males more often provide explanations.
1. An English saying goes "Sorry is the hardest word". This is not because it is hard to pronounce or spell, but because you have to admit that you have done something wrong.
15. Analysis of apology strategies according to apologizer sex Apologizer Sex Female % Male % 2.5 1.4 E. A promise of non-recurrence 6.2 5.1 D. An offer of repair/ redress 21.0 23.4 C. Explanation or account 11.1 8.4 B. Acknowledgement of responsibility 21.0 61.7 A. Explicit expression of apology Apology Strategy
16. Interaction of apologizer sex with offence type 4.3 2.2 6.Social gaffe (e.g. burping) 13.0 10.5 5.Possessions (e.g. damaging V’s pen) 21.7 11.9 4.Time (e.g. keeping V waiting) 13.0 17.9 3.Talk (e.g. interrupting V) 8.7 19.4 2.Space (e.g. bumping into V) 39.1 38.1 1.Inconvenience (e.g. inadequate goods or services) Apologizer Sex Female % Male % Offence Type
17. Sex of responder by response strategy 2.1 5.4 F. Other 14.9 12.4 E. No response provided 25.5 21.7 D. Evade (e.g. Let’s make another time) 19.1 11.6 C. Reject (e.g. Marked silence) 10.6 10.9 B. Acknowledge (e.g. OK, but..) 27.7 38.0 A. Accept (e.g. That’s ok) Responder Sex Female % Male % Response Strategy
