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Saturday, December 10, 2022

From virility to virtue: the psychology of apology in honor cultures

Lin, Y., Caluori, N., Öztürk, E. B., & Gelfand, M. J. (2022).  PNAS of the United States of America, 119(41), e2210324119.

Abstract

In honor cultures, relatively minor disputes can escalate, making numerous forms of aggression widespread. We find evidence that honor cultures' focus on virility impedes a key conflict de-escalation strategy-apology-that can be successfully promoted through a shift in mindset. Across five studies using mixed methods (text analysis of congressional speeches, a cross-cultural comparison, surveys, and experiments), people from honor societies (e.g., Turkey and US honor states), people who endorse honor values, and people who imagine living in a society with strong honor norms are less willing to apologize for their transgressions (studies 1-4). This apology reluctance is driven by concerns about reputation in honor cultures. Notably, honor is achieved not only by upholding strength and reputation (virility) but also through moral integrity (virtue). The dual focus of honor suggests a potential mechanism for promoting apologies: shifting the focus of honor from reputation to moral integrity. Indeed, we find that such a shift led people in honor cultures to perceive apologizing more positively and apologize more (study 5). By identifying a barrier to apologizing in honor cultures and illustrating ways to overcome it, our research provides insights for deploying culturally intelligent conflict-management strategies in such contexts.

Significance

Conflict is widespread and can easily escalate in regions where honor is a central value. We find evidence that honor cultures’ focus on virility impedes a key conflict deescalation strategy—apology—that can be
successfully promoted through a shift in mindset. Building on the conceptualization of honor as both virility and virtue, we show that virility concerns of maintaining one’s reputation underlie the reluctance to
apologize. Conversely, shifting the focus of honor to virtue concerns promotes apologizing. Our findings suggest that honor is a double-edged sword with the potential to both escalate and de-escalate conflicts.

Discussion

In honor cultures, relatively minor disputes can escalate, making certain forms of aggression widespread. Yet, there is surprisingly little research on how to manage conflicts and disputes in these settings. In the present research, we examine the role of honor culture in apology, an act that is critical to conflict de-escalation and reconciliation. Across five studies, we show that the culture of honor impedes apology. People from honor societies (e.g., Turkey and US honor states) and people who endorse honor values are less willing to apologize for their transgressions. Our final experiment provides insight into ways to promote apologizing when honor is at stake.

When the focus of honor concerns is on moral integrity, people see apologizing more positively and apologize more. Our results suggest that people are unwilling to apologize in part because they are concerned that apologizing undermines a core focal concern in these cultures, namely reputation, which may lower their social standing. In addition, we found some evidence that people are less willing to apologize because they consider apologies to be less effective at resolving conflict and repairing relationships. The unwillingness to apologize and the inclination to retaliate after being wronged (36) may create a vicious cycle that further fuels conflicts in honor cultures.