The Science of a Convincing Sorry

Science Quickly

Oct 22, 2025•11 min

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Episode description

What makes an apology sound sincere? Psychologist Shiri Lev-Ari joins host Rachel Feltman to explore how the effort we put into our words—especially through longer, easier-to-understand language—can signal genuine remorse. New research reveals that even subtle linguistic choices shape how apologies are received and judged.

Recommended Reading

“Sorries Seem to Have the Harder Words,” by Shiri Lev-Ari, in British Journal of Psychology, Vol. 116; published online May 7, 2025

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Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.

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