216. Why Do We Make Excuses?

Is it better to explain a mistake or just accept responsibility? What’s the difference between an excuse and a justification? And why is it important to remember that you’re not a pizzeria on the Jersey Shore? 

 

SOURCES:Robert Cialdini, professor of psychology at Arizona State University.Raymond Higgins, professor emeritus of psychology at University of Kansas.Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.Rick Snyder, professor emeritus of psychology at University of Kansas.

 

RESOURCES:"‘Explain, but Make No Excuses’: Service Recovery After Public Service Failures," by Matthias Döring (Public Management Review, 2022)."To Justify or Excuse?: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Effects of Explanations," by John C. Shaw, Eric Wild, and Jason A. Colquitt (Journal of Applied Psychology, 2003)."Excuses: Their Effective Role in the Negotiation of Reality," by C. R. Snyder and Raymond L. Higgins (Psychological Bulletin, 1988)."The Attributional Style Questionnaire," by Christopher Peterson, Amy Semmel, Carl von Baeyer, Lyn Y. Abramson, Gerald I. Metalsky, and Martin E. P. Seligman (Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1982).

 

EXTRAS:"How Can You Convince Someone They’re Wrong?" by No Stupid Questions (2021)."Under the Boardwalk," song by The Drifters (1964).