Repairing Trust Between Individuals and Groups : The Effectiveness of Apologies in Interpersonal and Intergroup Contexts

Transgressions and injustice are an inevitable part of social life, both in interactions between individuals and between groups. But whereas conflict between individuals typically impacts only few, conflict between groups can be harmful to many – as is illustrated by disputes between nations, political parties, and social groups. For this reason, it is crucial to understand how such transgressions can be restored. In interpersonal settings, there is considerable evidence that apologies can restore transgressions and enable victims and perpetrators to reconcile. It is unknown, however, to what extent the effectiveness of apologies in interpersonal conflicts may translate to conflicts between groups. The present research illuminates this question. In an experimental study (N = 272), we compared the value of apologies for restoring trust after transgressions between individuals or groups. Results revealed that both in interpersonal and intergroup contexts, apologies significantly increased trust. However, their impact was greater in interpersonal interactions (where they fully restored trust to pre-transgression levels) than in intergroup interactions (where they failed to fully restore trust). Furthermore, the effectiveness of apology was shaped by its emotional content. Specifically, in disputes between individuals, only apologies with secondary emotions fully restored trust. Conversely, in disputes between groups, neither primary nor secondary emotions fully restored trust. This was explained by greater skepticism of apologies in intergroup contexts, particularly of those with secondary emotions. These findings underline that intergroup interactions are more competitive and distrusting than interpersonal interactions, and suggests that more extensive remedies may be required to reduce intergroup tensions