ScholarOne - Elements of an ideal intergroup apology as demanded by the
victim group
Abstract
In this research, we explored the elements of an ideal apology in
international relations from a victim group’s perspective and examined
how these elements relate to attitudes and thoughts about the conflict.
Using the historical disputes between Korea and Japan as the backdrop,
we asked victim group members (Koreans; N = 200) to write an apology
statement that they would like to receive from the perpetrator group
(Japan). Content analysis of the statements revealed 11 new elements of
apology hitherto undocumented in the literature, in addition to 14
documented ones. We ran a cluster analysis to group elements that were
mentioned together in the messages. Four clusters emerged, and they
showed unique patterns of correlation with participants’ attitudes
towards apology and expectations about future relations. This research
suggests that unique characteristics inherent in every international
conflict call for more fine-tuned efforts toward rapprochements.