Intergroup Apologies From Both Sides: Perceptions of Goals and Satisfaction In Two European Contexts

Direct comparisons of reactions on both sides of a collective political apology, within the same study, are rare in published research. We report two studies conducted contemporaneously with past apologies, that focused on satisfaction and group-relevant outcomes of the apology. Study 1 surveyed English (apologising group) and Irish Nationalist (recipient group) respondents (N = 99) about the British apology in 2010 for the Bloody Sunday massacre. Study 2 surveyed Bosniaks (recipient group), Serbians in Belgrade and Bosnian Serbs (apologising groups; total N = 184) about a Serbian apology in 2013 for the Srebenica massacre. In Study 1, apologisers showed greater satisfaction than recipients, in line with their higher evaluations of the apology’s goal fulfilment. But in Study 2, apologisers were less satisfied than recipients, even as they perceived higher empowerment of recipients and more shifting of obligation to them. In both settings, satisfaction was predicted across samples by perceptions of how well the apology met image improvement, obligation shifting, and recipient empowerment goals, with no significant moderation by group. These findings, as with other recent research, challenge the group differences implicit in the Needs-Based Model and suggest that the bases for satisfaction with conciliatory acts may not be as different as assumed between sides of a recent conflict.