{"id":20926,"date":"2013-11-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-11-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/global2020prd.wpengine.com\/insights\/want-to-be-trusted-just-apologize\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T16:08:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T16:08:51","slug":"want-to-be-trusted-just-apologize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.global-integration.com\/insights\/want-to-be-trusted-just-apologize\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to be trusted? Just apologize."},"content":{"rendered":"

\""trust"\"Well not exactly; but maybe, says Robyn Green<\/a> in our regular Matrix Monday Review.<\/p>\n

Recent research – published by\u00a0Brooks, Dai and Schweitzer – conducted multiple studies to understand whether or not superfluous apologies increased or decreased trust.\u00a0 The authors defined superfluous apologies as \u201cexpressions of regret for an undesirable circumstance that is clearly outside of one\u2019s control\u201d (for example. I am sorry about the weather, or traffic, or for your lack of sleep… any circumstance or situation for which we have no control).<\/p>\n

The authors completed four different studies, each incorporating some form of superfluous apology, to better understand the impact of a superfluous apology on trust.\u00a0\u00a0 Surprisingly, the findings – in these studies anyway – were that yes, as a matter of fact, superfluous apologies may result in an increase of trust and likeability.<\/p>\n

In one of the cases, the authors assessed an individual\u2019s willingness to hand over their cell phone to a complete stranger.<\/p>\n

In sample group A, individuals were approached by the stranger who first, apologized for the weather, and then, requested to borrow their cell phone.\u00a0 In sample group B, individuals were approached by the same \u201cstranger\u201d who simply requested to borrow their cell phone.\u00a0 The results, surprisingly, showed that individuals in sample group A were more inclined to loan the stranger their cell phone leading us to believe that the superfluous apology, \u201c I am sorry about the weather\u201d, had an impact on trust and likeability.<\/p>\n

The reality here of course, and one that the authors allude to at the end of the paper, is that there are many factors that can influence trust.<\/p>\n

From our experience of working with more than 300 multi-national organizations, apologies may just be the tip of the iceberg: cultures, sincerity, expectations, structure, to name a few come in to play.\u00a0\u00a0 However, using SINCERE superfluous apologies in an attempt at connecting to others and showing empathy for their \u201cless than desirable\u201d situation definitely can\u2019t hurt the situation.\u00a0 Give it a try!<\/p>\n

Source: I’m Sorry About the Rain!: Superfluous Apologies Demonstrate Empathic Concern and Increase Trust<\/em> by Alison Wood Brooks, Hengchen Dai and Maurice E. Schweitzer. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 26 September 2013<\/cite><\/p>\n

Why not…..?<\/h3>\n