When Do You Owe an Apology? Depends on Gender

Research found that men apologize less frequently than women because they have a higher threshold for what they find as offensive behavior.

Research found that men apologize less frequently than women because they have a higher threshold for what they find as offensive behavior.

Both men and women may be pulling pranks this April fool’s but you can bet more women than men will be apologizing after. A study published in Psychological Science found that men apologize less frequently than women because they have a higher threshold for what they find as offensive behavior.

In the first study, volunteers were asked to keep daily diaries of all offenses committed and whether an apology was given.  Women reported offering more apologies than men but they also reported committing more offenses. A second study tested whether this was because men may have a higher threshold for what is considered offensive by having volunteers rate imaginary and recalled offenses. It was found that men rated offenses as less severe than women did.

So ladies, there’s your go-ahead to make your pranks a little more offensive this year. Your man will be able to hand it.

Schumann, K., & Ross, M. (2010). Why Women Apologize More Than Men: Gender Differences in Thresholds for Perceiving Offensive Behavior. Psychological Science, 21 (11).
ResearchBlogging.org

Comments

i also think it has cutural diffrence. i am a chinese ,in my country , this difference is not significanct.


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