The Role of Controlled Motivation in Transgressor Reconciliation Outcomes

Abstract

Due to the inevitable nature of conflict and the human desire to maintain relationships, it is essential that we fully understand the path to reconciliation. However, the common social script of apology-forgiveness post conflict has mainly been studied from the victim’s perspective while not much has been uncovered about transgressor reconciliation efforts post victim forgiveness. In this research we demonstrate that the transgressor motivation to apologize influences what motivation is attributed to victim forgiveness and as such also the inferred sincerity, ultimately influencing the transgressor restoration efforts. For all three studies we leverage the Self-Determination Framework to categorize the motivations on a spectrum of controlled to autonomous. In Study 1 utilizing a trust game, we explored the effect of the transgressor motivation to apologize on the transgressor restoration efforts after receiving forgiveness. Study 2 investigated how the motivation attributed to the forgiveness by the transgressor is influenced by the motivation to apologize and in turn influences the restoration efforts via a controlled vignette study. Lastly, in Study 3 we provide support for our full proposed model – the effect of the transgressor motivation to apologize on restoration efforts is serially mediated by the inferred motivation of forgiveness and perceived forgiveness sincerity. This study contributes to the emerging literature on the interdependent nature of the apology-forgiveness path to reconciliation and the importance of motivation within this process.