Recent research suggests that forgiveness allows transgressions to continue, possibly by signaling acceptance. Three studies tested the prediction that the implications of forgiveness for future transgressions/benevolent behavior and/or happiness depend on whether forgivers also engage in communication behaviors that communicate a lack of acceptance of the transgression. Study 1 was a longitudinal study of newlywed couples in which couples first reported their tendencies to forgive, were observed during problem-solving discussions, and provided reports of their partners' considerateness every 6 months for 4 years; Study 2 was a daily diary study of established relationships in which participants reported transgressions, forgiveness, partner-regulation behaviors, and happiness every day for 2 weeks; Study 3 was an experimental study of undergraduate couples in which participants' perceptions of their partners' forgiveness and tendencies to engage in partner-regulation behaviors were first experimentally manipulated and participants were then given the opportunity to transgress against their partners. Results from Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that forgiveness was more strongly associated with partners engaging in more compromise (Study 1), partners behaving more considerately (Study 1), and partners engaging in fewer transgressions (Study 2) that led the forgivers to experience greater happiness (Study 2) among forgivers who demanded more changes compared with forgivers who demanded less changes. Unexpectedly, Study 3 did not replicate these results, possibly because the partner-regulation manipulation failed to affect participants' perceptions of their partners' regulatory behaviors. Implications and suggested directions for future research are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2015. / March 23, 2015. / Close relationships, Forgiveness, Marriage, Partner regulation / Includes bibliographical references. / James K. McNulty, Professor Directing Dissertation; Frank D. Fincham, University Representative; Roy F. Baumeister, Committee Member; Jesse R. Cougle, Committee Member; E. Ashby Plant, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_253434 |
| Contributors | Baker-Russell, Virginia Michelle (authoraut), McNulty, James (professor directing dissertation), Fincham, Frank D. (university representative), Baumeister, Roy F. (committee member), Cougle, Jesse R. (Jesse Ray) (committee member), Plant, Ashby (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Psychology (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (90 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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