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A dyadic assessment of forgiveness in intimate relationships
Author(s) -
Friesen Myron D.,
Fletcher Garth J. O.,
Overall Nickola C.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
personal relationships
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.81
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1475-6811
pISSN - 1350-4126
DOI - 10.1111/j.1350-4126.2005.00102.x
Subject(s) - forgiveness , psychology , attribution , social psychology , perception , quality (philosophy) , sample (material) , philosophy , chemistry , epistemology , chromatography , neuroscience
This study investigated forgiveness by examining couples’ recollections and perceptions of specific incidents of transgressions in their relationships. The results replicated previous research but also produced some novel findings. Results showed that more positive attributions and relationship quality independently predicted higher internal forgiveness, whereas expressed forgiveness was related only to relationship quality. Overall, the sample was negatively biased in their perceptions of their partner's forgiveness, but those participants who tended toward a positive bias were happier with their relationships as were their partners. Results are discussed in terms of prior research and theories of forgiveness and related social judgments in intimate relationships.