Situational influence on the use of remedial strategies in embarrassing predicaments

Abstract

Abstract The present study investigated how the use of remedial strategies for coping with embarrassment is affected by various types of embarrassing predicaments. Respondents completed surveys in which they described a significant embarrassing event, what they did to reduce their felt embarrassment, and what other social actors present did to reduce the respondent's embarrassment. Log‐linear analysis of frequency distributions indicated that for embarrassed persons, excuses were more likely to be used in mistake situations and less likely in recipient situations, justification was more likely in a faux pas situation, humor and remediation were more likely in accident situations, and aggression was used exclusively in recipient situations.