Individual difference in crisis response perception: How do legal experts and lay people perceive apology and compassion responses?

Abstract

A growing number of studies have found no difference in the effects of apology, compassion, or sympathy on crisis outcomes. The present study examines whether people perceive apology and compassion in a similar way or whether there is an individual difference in the perception of crisis response that has not been explored. The results of this study revealed a significant difference in crisis response perception between legal experts and lay people. Law experts did see a difference between apology and compassion responses in judging apology, whereas lay people did not. This study finding suggests that individual difference be incorporated into testing the effect of different crisis responses on crisis outcomes. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.