Transgressor Communication After Committing a Hurtful Relational Event: Associations With Attributed Intent, Blame, Guilt, Responsibility, and Perceived Forgiveness

Abstract

Following a hurtful relational event, transgressor communication with the victim impacts relational repair and forgiveness. Based in an attribution framework, this study examined how transgressors’ (N = 504) self-attributed responsibility, intent, blame, and guilt regarding a hurtful event associated with their communicative response (e.g., apology, avoidance, justification), and how their communication associated with perceived forgiveness. In regression analyses, attribution dimensions predicted five communicative strategies. The attribution model accounted for 35% of variance in transgressors’ reported use of apology/concession strategies. Use of apology/concession and appeasement/positivity positively associated, and avoidance/silence negatively associated, with perception of forgiveness.