EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. -- November 12, 2004 -- Survey Finds Americans Say "Sorry" Five Times a Month.
According to Elton John, "sorry" seems to be the hardest word. But according to a new Sorry! survey conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation, wives and girlfriends seem to have a harder time saying it than husbands and boyfriends. Could it be that men are naturally more apologetic than women? Or do they just have more to be sorry for?
Either way, Parker Brothers, a division of Hasbro, Inc., is giving men and women the opportunity to atone for their minor misdeeds without fear of repercussion November 15-21 during National Sorry! Week. The weeklong celebration has been created in honor of the 70th Anniversary of the Sorry! Game.
The survey found that men are more likely than women to indicate they say "sorry" to their spouse or significant other by a whopping 15% (56% compared to 41%, respectively). But it seems men are less likely to say "sorry" to the little ones: women are 13% more likely than men to say "sorry" to their kids (21% compared to 8%, respectively).
The survey also found that, on average, Americans say "sorry" five times a month, and one-third of Americans say it seven or more times over the course of a month. So what are Americans sorry about? A majority (59%) of Americans are most sorry if they forget an important date, followed by 44% who feel sorry if they are late. Forty percent said they feel sorry if they leave a mess around the house.
And when it comes to being a good, clean housemate, women do a much better job than men. Men are more likely than women to be sorry for a variety of misdeeds around the house, including the following:
- Leaving a mess (44% compared to 37%, respectively)
- Forgetting to take out the trash (29% compared to 19%, respectively)
- Leaving dirty socks on the floor (30% compared to 16%, respectively)
- Missing dinner (26% compared to 19%, respectively)
- Not replacing the toilet paper roll (24% compared to 18%, respectively)
- Drinking the last of the orange juice (23% compared to 14%, respectively)
- Drinking from the milk carton and putting it back (22% compared to 10%, respectively)
So whatever Americans have done to be sorry for, socks or no socks, Parker Brothers encourages everyone to say "sorry" during National Sorry! Week, November 15-21. Log on to www.sorry.com to send "sorry" cards to friends and family and for more information.
Other survey results of note include the following:
- One-third (32%) of Americans say "sorry" one or two times per month, while more than one-fourth (28%) do so three to six times a month.
- Respondents under the age of 45 are more likely to say "sorry" seven or more times per month than those 45 years of age or older (44% compared to 21%, respectively).
Research Methods
A total of 1,020 telephone interviews (weighted total is 1,000) were conducted with a national sample of adults, 18 years of age and older, via Opinion Research Corporation's weekly telephone omnibus survey. Interviewing was conducted between May 27 and 30, 2004. The results are weighted to reflect the actual distribution of the adult population with regard to age, gender, race, and geographic area. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points.
Hasbro is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER, and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
