Humans have been developing the art of the sincere apology for centuries.
But it appears Alan Jones hasn't quite caught on, according to an expert who reviewed his public apology to Prime Minister Julia Gillard over comments about her late father.
Sydney University anthropologist Dr Stephen Juan said the broadcaster's apology was insincere, conditional and lacked a commitment to change his behaviour.
"There was no offer made, there was no indication that he's changing his behaviour," Dr Juan said.
"And from Alan Jones's show this morning, and his audience's reaction, they practically egged him on to do it again.
"You know: 'Good on you mate, keep going.'
"There's hardly much of a sincere apology in that.
"In an insincere apology, there is quite often characterising of oneself as the victim and Jones did that a lot; that he was the person who really should be apologised to because of all this vitriol that came to him.
"All of this is to cover up one's own indiscretion and making oneself out to be the victim."
Dr Juan said humans don't like imbalance in relationships and a sincere apology restored balance for both the person apologising and the person accepting it.
He said the significance of an apology and a genuine expression of regret could sometimes be underestimated, but it actually played an important role in evolution.
"Humans need this. In fact it has some evolutionary significance.
"This is how societies have actually been able to survive, because if they go to war constantly because of offences then they cancel each other out.
"So humans have to co-operate and they do this by striking a balance in relationships.
"A genuine apology is a way of doing this.
"We don't think of it in such profound terms but an apology is really, really significant behaviour and it's helped us to survive."
Professor Julie Fitness, a social psychologist at Macquarie University, said a sincere apology could work like "magic" in restoring good relations and making people feel better.
But research showed apologies full of mitigation, qualifications and finger-pointing did not work.
"If this hadn't come out, then obviously there wouldn't have been a need for him to make a public apology.
"I think people would draw their own conclusions about how sincere the apology is.
"When a person is actually caught doing the wrong thing, it's like a kid.
"You get the apology in response to having been caught, as opposed to a real reflection on what you've done, and a decision that you're not going to do that any more.
"If Alan Jones came out and said 'actually I have reflected on what I said and really I think we could be doing a lot to raise the standard and quality of debate in this country and I certainly will not be engaging in that kind of personal attack again' you might think he's had a real epiphany."
Other famous public apologies that divided opinion:
- Married US politician Anthony Weiner admitted he accidentally tweeted a picture of his crotch, intending to send it to a woman privately, after spending days insisting he was the victim of hacking in 2011.
"At the outset I'd like to make it clear that I've made terrible mistakes that have hurt the people I care about most and I'm deeply sorry," he said during a tearful press conference.
"I've not been honest with myself, my family, my constituents, my friends, supporters and the media.
"Last Friday night, I tweeted a photograph of myself that I intended to send as a direct message as part of a joke to a woman in Seattle.
"Once I realised I posted to Twitter, I panicked, I took it down and said that I had been hacked.
"I then continued to stick to that story, which was a hugely regrettable mistake."
- Tiger Woods after he was caught cheating on his wife Elin Nordegren with several women in 2010, said: "Every one of you has good reason to be critical of me.
"I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behaviour I engaged in."
- Matthew Johns's 2009 apology after being embroiled in a group sex scandal, after a woman said the experience involving several rugby league players left her feeling suicidal: "Any trauma, embarrassment that she's gone through as a result of this incident, I'm extremely sorry for.
"The woman was a willing participant in what went on".
- In 2007 athlete Marion Jones admitted she had lied about using performance-enhancing drugs.
"It is with a great amount of shame that I stand before you and tell you that I have betrayed your trust," she told media through tears.
"I want all of you to know that today I plead guilty to two counts of making false statements to federal agents.
"Making these false statements to federal agents was an incredibly stupid thing for me to do and I am responsible fully for my actions.
"I have no one to blame but myself for what I have done.
"I have let them down, I have let my country down and I have let myself down.
"I recognise that by saying I am deeply sorry it might not be enough and sufficient to address the pain and the hurt that I have caused you.
"Therefore I want to ask for your forgiveness for my actions and hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
- Hugh Grant speaking to Jay Leno after he'd been caught with a prostitute while in a relationship with Liz Hurley in 1995.
"I think you know in life, pretty much, what's a good thing to do and what's a bad thing," he said.
"I did a bad thing and there you have it."
