An Investigation of Forgiveness-seeking Communication and Relational Outcomes

Abstract

Therapists and theologians claim that the process of forgiveness is essential to the restoration of damaged relationships, but this possibility has received limited empirical attention. Furthermore, the role of an offender's communicative behavior in the forgiveness process remains understudied. This project first analyzed an inductively derived list of communication behaviors to develop a taxonomy of forgiveness-seeking approaches used by 186 romantic partners. These were interpreted with reference to face-management, uncertainty reduction, and rule-negotiation approaches to relationship recovery. Associations between the types of forgiveness-seeking communication and several different measures of post-transgression relationship change were examined. Results indicated that relationships recovered significantly when offending partners used behaviors labeled as explicit acknowledgment, nonverbal assurance, and compensation. Significant communicative effects remained after the effects of transgression severity were controlled. Results are interpreted as partially supportive of the assumption that forgiveness-seeking communication facilitates recovery from relational damage.

Keywords:

• Forgiveness
• Relationship Change
• Reconciliation
• Relationship Quality
• Relationship Maintenance

Notes

Douglas Kelley (Associate Professor) and Vincent Waldron (Professor), Department of Communication Studies #3251, Arizona State University West, PO Box 37100, Phoenix, Arizona 85069, USA (Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; Email: [email protected]). Correspondence should be addressed to the first author.

Detailed factor analysis statistics are available from the first author. Non-loading items are listed at the bottom of Table 1.

We entered the transgression severity variable first, then entered the forgiveness-seeking measures as a block.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Vincent R. Waldron

Douglas Kelley (Associate Professor) and Vincent Waldron (Professor), Department of Communication Studies #3251, Arizona State University West, PO Box 37100, Phoenix, Arizona 85069, USA (Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; Email: [email protected]). Correspondence should be addressed to the first author.