If I could turn back time/If I could find a way/I’d take back those words that hurt you/and you’d stay
—Cher, “If I Could Turn Back Time”

DEKALB, IL – Everyone occasionally has rough patches in their relationships with family, friends, significant others or coworkers. And often the first step toward making amends is a sincere apology.

But what prompts people to apologize—or not—for their transgressions?

That’s a question that intrigued NIU senior Isabelle Van Winkle, a double major in both psychology and women, gender and sexuality studies. So Van Winkle conducted research around the question and found that a lot depends on the perception of the person who’s saying, “I’m sorry.”

Van Winkle plans to continue her education at NIU in the fall in the M.S.Ed. Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Learn more about her research in the accompanying video from the second annual “Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion.”