Researchers have found that longer, more wordy apologies are perceived as more genuine than concise ones, according to a study published in the British Journal of Psychology.
Dr Shiri Lev-Ari from Royal Holloway, University of London, conducted the research, which suggests that the effort put into an apology is key to conveying sincerity. The study found that individuals use longer words in apologies than in non-apologetic communication, and that recipients interpret such apologies as more apologetic.
The study tested three versions of identical apologies, varying the wording from simple to more complex. For instance, it compared “I did not mean to answer in a hostile way” with “I did not mean to reply in a combative style” and “I did not mean to respond in a confrontational manner.” The wordiest versions received the most positive responses.
Additionally, the researchers analysed tweets from celebrities and others, finding that apology messages from celebrities contained on average five times more words than their usual tweets, while those from others were about twice as long as standard messages.
