Apologies In The #Metoo Moment

In 2 studies, we examined apologies for sexual misconduct. In Study 1, we coded 37 public apologies offered for sexual misconduct between October 2017 and May 2018 by male members of the Arts & Entertainment and Media industries, using a scheme adapted from the study by Slocum, Allan, and Allan (2011). In Study 2, 2 samples of male and female participants judged 4 apologies crafted for a transgression involving multiple victims, based on the cases coded in Study 1. Study 1 revealed that the public apologies contained many more elements with a focus on the accused's feelings and behavior (self-focus) than elements with a focus on the accuser's needs and feelings (self-other focus). Study 2 showed that apologies with a focus on the accuser's needs and feelings (self-other focus) were judged as more sincere, more acceptable, more likely to meet a victim's needs, and more likely to lead to closure than apologies with elements that focused on the accused's feelings and behavior. However, college-aged men did not follow this pattern, offering higher ratings for apologies with different emphases.