This study is an investigation of the differences
between the apology strategies used by Jordanians
and Americans. The researcher has used two tests,
the first designed by Sugimoto (1997) in her study
of the differences of the apology strategies used in
Japan and the USA, and the second designed by the
researcher herself from scenarios suggested by
students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA,
and both Yarmouk University and Jordan University of
Science and Technology, Jordan. Not only has the
researcher found differences between the Americans
and Jordanians use of apologies, she has also
detected differences related to the variable of
gender within the same culture.
The main differences she found lie in the facts that
Jordanians used more types of the statement of
remorse, used the strategy of promising not to
repeat offense more than compensation in order to
talk their way out of the offense, and invoked
Allah s (God s) name and used proverbs and sayings
when trying to apologize; Americans used more
compensation, and tended to blame others as well as
themselves when trying to apologize for the
committed offense.
between the apology strategies used by Jordanians
and Americans. The researcher has used two tests,
the first designed by Sugimoto (1997) in her study
of the differences of the apology strategies used in
Japan and the USA, and the second designed by the
researcher herself from scenarios suggested by
students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA,
and both Yarmouk University and Jordan University of
Science and Technology, Jordan. Not only has the
researcher found differences between the Americans
and Jordanians use of apologies, she has also
detected differences related to the variable of
gender within the same culture.
The main differences she found lie in the facts that
Jordanians used more types of the statement of
remorse, used the strategy of promising not to
repeat offense more than compensation in order to
talk their way out of the offense, and invoked
Allah s (God s) name and used proverbs and sayings
when trying to apologize; Americans used more
compensation, and tended to blame others as well as
themselves when trying to apologize for the
committed offense.