SBP: The Role of Apologies in Promoting Intergroup Relations

University Of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

Black Americans are aware of the legacy of racial discrimination in the United States and how inequalities persist with undesirable consequences. Indeed, intergroup interactions can carry racial overtones and incorporate distrust. One context where this distrust might be especially problematic involves interpersonal conflict situations. If left unresolved, these conflicts can jeopardize people's relationships, home and work environments, and physical and psychological health. Although decades of research have demonstrated that an apology is often the key to resolving these conflicts, apologies are only effective if they are perceived by victims as sincere acts of remorse -- a perception that suffers under low levels of trust. Thus, apologies from majority group transgressors to minority group victims might be less effective at promoting reconciliation because they are perceived as untrustworthy and insincere. The current project systematically examines how interpersonal apologies function in intergroup situations. This program of research examines when apologies are more effective at promoting intergroup reconciliation, whether trust in the apologizer and perceived apology sincerity help explain intergroup differences in apology effectiveness, and whether the benefits of cross-group apologies can be increased by contextual features that reduce victims' expectations of racial bias. This work studies whether majority group transgressors can convey apology sincerity, and in turn enhance cross-race conflict resolution, by offering sincere apologies. This research sheds light on whether, when, and why apologies function differently in cross-race dyads, thus contributing to our understanding of barriers to reconciliation in important intergroup contexts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.