She Said, He Said. The Influence of Remedial Accounts on Third-Party Judgments of Coworker Sexual Harassment
研究了性骚扰中模糊行为的补救性解释如何影响第三方（如管理者）对骚扰严重性、冒犯程度及是否需要纪律处分的判断，发现否认最有效，且效果因性别和骚扰类型而异。
Sexual harassment often consists of ambiguous behaviors subject to interpretation. Remedial accounts that clarify and explain such behaviors can play a major role in influencing organizational representatives’ perceptions of harassment. Data from 351 employees indicated that type of account, gender of participant, and type of harassing behavior influenced judgments of sexual harassment, perceived offensiveness, and perceived need for disciplinary action. Denials were the most mitigating type of account, followed by excuses, justifications, and concessions. Men and women differed in the extent to which their ratings were influenced by accounts; men’s ratings were more likely to be influenced by denials, whereas women’s ratings were more likely to be influenced by concessions. In addition, remedial accounts were found to be more effective for less severe types of harassing behavior (gender harassment and unwanted sexual attention) and less effective for more severe behavior (sexual coercion).