Please accept my sincere and humble apologies: The HEXACO model of personality and the proclivity to apologize

• We investigate HEXACO and the proclivity to apologize via self- and observer-reports.
• Honesty–humility was the strongest correlate of the proclivity to apologize.
• Conscientiousness was an unexpected robust positive correlate of apology proclivities.
• Agreeableness was a positive correlate of apology proclivity in one sample only.
• Two guilt and shame proneness scales predicted apology proclivity beyond the HEXACO.

We investigated the links of the HEXACO personality factors and facets with the proclivity to apologize for transgressions, using self- and observer-reports of personality in two adult samples. The proclivity to apologize showed its strongest correlations with the honesty–humility factor, whether evaluated by the self or a knowledgeable observer. Agreeableness was a positive correlate of the proclivity to apologize in one sample only. In both samples, self-reported conscientiousness was positively associated with a proclivity to apologize. We also obtained self-reports on the guilt and shame proneness scales, given the strong conceptual link between guilt and apology. The proclivity to apologize was associated positively with facets of guilt (especially Negative Behavior Evaluation) but negatively with one facet of Shame (Withdrawal).