The Paradox of Excuses and Personal Responsibility

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).