Apologies Heal Divisions in Post-Conflict Societies, Boost Willingness to Help Former Foes
In post-conflict societies like Kosovo, people often react negatively to help from their former enemies. To see how apologies can change this, three experiments were done. The results showed that when an apology came from a former enemy or was supported by them, people were more likely to accept help and feel at peace with the other group. This made them more willing to interact with them. The key was that people saw the other group as more human after the apology. This shows that apologies can help improve relationships between groups after conflicts.