Intergroup apologies : the moderating role of perceived warmth in the apology-forgiveness relationship

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of apologies issued by groups for collective harms. While it is widely presumed that these apologies pave the way for forgiveness and reconciliation, evidence for their effectiveness in doing so is limited. The current thesis reports findings from two experiments, which tested the proposition that the apology–forgiveness relationship is dependent on victim-group members’ perceived warmth of the offending group. In Experiment 1, Hong Kong participants read an article summarizing an actual intergroup offense against Hong Kong people, the presence of an intergroup apology was manipulated and perceived warmth of the offending group was measured. In Experiment 2, participants were introduced to a fictional offense against Hong Kong people by an unfamiliar group; perceived warmth of the offending group was manipulated along with the presence of an apology. In both experiments, perceived warmth of the offending group was found to moderate the influence of apology on forgiveness; an intergroup apology was found to promote forgiveness when the offending group was perceived to be above a certain threshold of warmth. It was also hypothesized that perceived remorse would mediate the effect of an intergroup apology on forgiveness and that perceived warmth would moderate the indirect effect of apology on forgiveness through perceived remorse. These hypotheses were supported in Experiment 1 but not Experiment 2, suggesting that perceived remorse may not be the only mechanism through which apology has an effect on forgiveness. Taken together, the current experiments represent the first empirical investigation of the influence of stereotype content on the apology–forgiveness relationship in the intergroup context, and suggest that the perceived lack of warmth associated with offending groups may be a potential reason for the muted effectiveness of intergroup apologies. Further implications for our understanding of intergroup apologies are discussed.