THE SORRIEST ANIMAL:WHY SEEK FORGIVENESS INVESTIGATORS EXPLORE HOW TO USE AN APOLOGY EFFECTIVELY

The Sorriest Animal: Why We Seek Forgiveness

Investigators explore how to use an apology effectively

By Jesse Bering

Published: The Scientific American, scientificamerican.com

Level of Difficulty: ****

QUESTIONS

1.       In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, where all problems of mankind have been solved, people are encouraged to take a drug called soma. Why do you think such a drug would be necessary in a perfect world?

2.       Why are criminals important for society?

3.       What aspect of our way of life as a species makes being disliked, ostracized or rejected particularly painful?

4.       Read the section on the “Sociometer Hypothesis”. What are the two functions of the sociometer?

5.       Read the first experiment, the harmdoer and the coercer, to the end and answer the following questions:

a.       How does the reaction of the observer and the target compare?

b.      What is the reason for the above situation?

6.       Read the second experiment, insincere apologies versus no apology, carefully and answer the following questions:

a.       How does the reaction of the observer and the target compare?

b.      What is the reason for the observer’s reaction?

REFERENCES

What do the following refer to? Be very specific.

7.       Their (paragraph 2, in the phrase “were only able to pay their taxes…”)

8.       This ( paragraph 2, in the phrase ”This would be a sign that I was doing something very wrong”)

9.       One or two ( In the last line)

THE SORRIEST ANIMAL / KEY

1.       A life lived without enemies/ problems would be a very dull affair; open ended

2.       Because an entire industry of people were only able to pay their taxes…

3.       Group living

4.       To provide continual emotional feedback and encourage us to boost our relational value.

5.       a.Although the targets forgave both the spontaneous apologist and the coerced apologist in equal measure, the observer did so only for the coerced apologist. / b. Whereas the offended parties are motivated to appear forgiving rather than spiteful, observers, as neutral parties, are expected to be fair and discerning of others’ intentions.

6.       a. Targets forgave  both the apologists equally but expressed lingering anger towards the player who didn’t apologize at all. For the silent observers, however, the person who offered a coerced apology was judged even more harshly than the one who offered no apology at all./ b. If responsibility is ambiguous, apologies can be costly to the defendant because of the admission of responsibility. Observers may have given the harmdoer the benefit of the doubt.

REFERENCES /KEY

7.       An entire industry of people

8.       Being universally liked

9.       Apologies that are better left unsaid