CAJ | 학술논문

本研究结合调节聚焦理论探讨了如何道歉更有效。两个实验通过启动不同调节聚焦，创设冒犯情境并呈现不同框架的道歉信息，考察调节聚焦与道歉框架对道歉效果的影响。结果表明，向促进聚焦的受害者呈现积极框架的道歉信息、向防御聚焦的受害者呈现消极框架的道歉信息能改善受害者对冒犯者的评价，降低交往回避倾向，获得较好的道歉效果，且正确感是此种影响发生的内在机制。
본연구결합조절취초이론탐토료여하도겸경유효。량개실험통과계동불동조절취초，창설모범정경병정현불동광가적도겸신식，고찰조절취초여도겸광가대도겸효과적영향。결과표명，향촉진취초적수해자정현적겁광가적도겸신식、향방어취초적수해자정현소겁광가적도겸신식능개선수해자대모범자적평개，강저교왕회피경향，획득교호적도겸효과，차정학감시차충영향발생적내재궤제。
Apologies are useful social tools that can act as catalysts in the resolution of conflict and inspire forgiveness. Yet, as numerous real-world blunders attest, apologies are not always effective. Social psychologists pay close attention to the issue of how to make apologies more effective, in order to restore the damaged relationship. Previous research examined the effectiveness of apologies by contrasting the effect of apology with non- apology. However, little attention has been focused on the motivational aspect of the effectiveness of apologies. One theory that incorporates these ideas and might assist in qualifying the relationship between information framing and the effectiveness is Higgins＇s regulatory focus theory （Higgins, 1997）. This theory argues that individuals pursue one of the two different types of self-regulatory goals： promotion-focused goals and prevention- focused goals. According to Higgins （2000）, regulatory fit occurs when an individual uses strategic means or confronts with information framing congruent with his or her regulatory focus to some end. Fit between regulatory focus and information framing will strengthen individual＇s evaluation of the information, as well as the affect and motivation. This is because when there is regulatory fit, the manner of goal pursuit feels right and increases the value of what a person is doing （Cesario, Grant, ＆ Higgins, 2004）. Feeling right from regulatory fit produces a feeling of importance and correctness that can be transferred to evaluations of objects, including the framing of an apology. This research, using diverse methodologies and measures, was conducted to explore the role that self-regulatory focus of an injured party and framing of apologies of an offender plays in explaining the motivational process of an apology. Specifically, Study 1 created an interpersonal transgression situation in the lab, and the offender actually communicated with participants. Participants＇ regulatory focus was manipulated through presenting different task framings. After the participants received either framing of apology, the researchers used the Implicit Association Test （IAT） paradigm to measure participants＇ implicit and explicit appraisals of the offenders. Findings showed that regulatory focus and information framing had a significant interaction. Further analysis indicated that the apologies framing, congruent with participant＇s regulatory focus, produced significantly more positive implicit and explicit appraisals of the offenders. Study 2 primed either the promotion focus or prevention focus of the participants by instructing them to focus on their experience of aspirations or obligations, then presented the transgression scenarios and instructed participants to imagine themselves as the victims in the scenario. Finally the participant reported their inclination to avoid or revenge the offenders, as an index of the effectiveness of apologies. The results indicated that regulatory focus and information framing had a significant interaction on avoidance, whereas neither of the two variables had a significant effect on revenge. Specifically, when promotion-focused participants received a positive framing apology, or prevention-focused participants received a negative framing apology, the participants reported significantly less avoidance towards the offenders. The research also discussed the mechanism of regulatory fit achieved by the victims＇ regulatory focus and the offenders＇ apology framing, namely, feeling right. The results showed that feeling-right mediated the relationship between the interaction of regulatory focus and apologies and avoidance. According to Higgins （2000）, experiencing fit and the associated feelings of rightness provide an intuitive confirmation of one＇s response to apology. Thus, regulatory fit would serve to confirm positive attitude that individuals typically feel following the apologies, and would improve their impression of the offenders, consequently give more forgiveness, making the apologies more effective. The present research suggests that the regulatory focus theory can help inform the scientific research of apology and its motivational process between the involved parties.