Walk the Talk: The Effects of Apology and Reparation After Acts of Prejudice

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Main Authors: Elizabeth C. Szanton, Aditi Kodipady, Ivuoma N. Onyeador, Liane Young
Format: Artículo Open Access
Published: Wiley 2025
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author Elizabeth C. Szanton
Aditi Kodipady
Ivuoma N. Onyeador
Liane Young
author_facet Elizabeth C. Szanton
Aditi Kodipady
Ivuoma N. Onyeador
Liane Young
Elizabeth C. Szanton
Aditi Kodipady
Ivuoma N. Onyeador
Liane Young
collection Wiley Open Access
contents Walk the Talk: The Effects of Apology and Reparation After Acts of Prejudice Elizabeth C. Szanton Aditi Kodipady Ivuoma N. Onyeador Liane Young Journal of Applied Social Psychology ABSTRACT In an era of abundant high‐profile apologies, many of which are perceived to be cheap and insincere, it is crucial to understand what constitutes a meaningful response from a high‐status perpetrator. Across three studies using a 2 (apology: present, absent) × 2 (reparation: present, absent) within‐subjects design, we presented participants ( N total  = 300) with 16 vignettes describing prejudicial harm and assessed the unique effects of apology and reparation on perceptions of the perpetrators' subsequent responses. We additionally examined whether apology and reparation operate via a cognitive mechanism (reevaluation of the harm itself) or via a relational mechanism (identification with the perpetrator). As predicted, the presence of an apology and of reparation each independently predicted more positive perceptions of the perpetrator's response. Reparation exerted a stronger effect than apology on ratings of response quality (Study 1) and on ratings of the response's impact (Studies 2 and 3); in some cases, if reparation was present, apology did not add value. Our findings suggest that, while apology operates primarily via a relational mechanism, reparation operates via both cognitive and relational mechanisms. Additionally, responses were perceived more favorably overall in the context of close relationships (Study 3), which contributes to existing evidence that relational closeness buffers against negative attributions about the perpetrator and their motives. We suggest that while apology and reparation are each key to an effective response, reparation plays a particularly important role in predicting positive reception to a response to prejudicial harm. 10.1111/jasp.70021 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
doi_str_mv 10.1111/jasp.70021
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spellingShingle Walk the Talk: The Effects of Apology and Reparation After Acts of Prejudice
Elizabeth C. Szanton
Aditi Kodipady
Ivuoma N. Onyeador
Liane Young
Journal of Applied Social Psychology
Walk the Talk: The Effects of Apology and Reparation After Acts of Prejudice Elizabeth C. Szanton Aditi Kodipady Ivuoma N. Onyeador Liane Young Journal of Applied Social Psychology ABSTRACT In an era of abundant high‐profile apologies, many of which are perceived to be cheap and insincere, it is crucial to understand what constitutes a meaningful response from a high‐status perpetrator. Across three studies using a 2 (apology: present, absent) × 2 (reparation: present, absent) within‐subjects design, we presented participants ( N total  = 300) with 16 vignettes describing prejudicial harm and assessed the unique effects of apology and reparation on perceptions of the perpetrators' subsequent responses. We additionally examined whether apology and reparation operate via a cognitive mechanism (reevaluation of the harm itself) or via a relational mechanism (identification with the perpetrator). As predicted, the presence of an apology and of reparation each independently predicted more positive perceptions of the perpetrator's response. Reparation exerted a stronger effect than apology on ratings of response quality (Study 1) and on ratings of the response's impact (Studies 2 and 3); in some cases, if reparation was present, apology did not add value. Our findings suggest that, while apology operates primarily via a relational mechanism, reparation operates via both cognitive and relational mechanisms. Additionally, responses were perceived more favorably overall in the context of close relationships (Study 3), which contributes to existing evidence that relational closeness buffers against negative attributions about the perpetrator and their motives. We suggest that while apology and reparation are each key to an effective response, reparation plays a particularly important role in predicting positive reception to a response to prejudicial harm. 10.1111/jasp.70021 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Walk the Talk: The Effects of Apology and Reparation After Acts of Prejudice
topic Journal of Applied Social Psychology
url https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jasp.70021