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.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 339-358 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Communication Quarterly |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2005 |
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Keywords
- Forgiveness
- Reconciliation
- Relationship Change
- Relationship Maintenance
- Relationship Quality
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Communication
Cite this
An investigation of forgiveness-seeking communication and relational outcomes. / Kelley, Douglas; Waldron, Vincent.
In: Communication Quarterly, Vol. 53, No. 3, 01.01.2005, p. 339-358.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - An investigation of forgiveness-seeking communication and relational outcomes
AU - Kelley, Douglas
AU - Waldron, Vincent
PY - 2005/1/1
Y1 - 2005/1/1
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Forgiveness
KW - Reconciliation
KW - Relationship Change
KW - Relationship Maintenance
KW - Relationship Quality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=54049140532&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=54049140532&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/01463370500101097
DO - 10.1080/01463370500101097
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:54049140532
VL - 53
SP - 339
EP - 358
JO - Communication Quarterly
JF - Communication Quarterly
SN - 0146-3373
IS - 3
ER -