An emerging theory of apology

Abstract

There is no consensus in the psychological literature regarding the operational definition of an apology, nor is there a comprehensive theory of apology.The object of this study was to use a hermeneutic phenomenological approach and grounded theory methodology to develop a theory of apology based on lay people's interpretation of apologetic responses.Data were methodically gathered by interviewing 23 people who had been wronged by an intimate partner.The analysis of the data suggests that there is not a single discrete definition of an apology, but that it is more appropriate to conceptualise apology as a process that consists of one or more of three components: affect, affirmation, and action.Each of these components has two categories; one that reflects a self-focus on the part of the wrongdoer, and the other a self-other focus.What will be accepted as a good enough apology appears to depend on the severity of the consequences of the wrong, the level of responsibility attributed to the wrongdoer, and the perceived wrongfulness of the behaviour. Key words: apology, forgiveness, reconciliationApology is a construct that has in recent years become prominent among the general public and scholars.Psychologists' interest in apology can be traced back to the work of Heider (1958), and it was initially studied by social and cognitive psychologists interested in remedial behaviour, that is, verbal acts that attempt to explain the wrongful behaviour so that it becomes acceptable (Cody & McLaughlin, 1987;McLaughlin, Cody, & O'Hair, 1983;Ohbuchi, Kameda, & Agarie, 1989).Recently, there has, however, been an increased interest in apology among other psychologists.For instance, as lawyers became more interested in the construct (Allan, 2008), psycho-legal researchers such as Robbennolt (2003, 2006) and Allan (2007Allan ( , 2008) ) have started examining the construct in legal context.The biggest impetus, however, comes from clinical, counselling, and health psychologists, because there is evidence that apologies influence the reconciliation and forgiving processes (McCullough,

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