Abstract
This paper reviews the study of the different forgiveness communication styles, variables, and relational characteristics in personal relationships. This survey study was conducted by Andy J. Merolla and Shuangyue Zhang using the structural equation model by Kelley (1998), self-report measure of forgiveness communication by Waldron and Kelley (2005), a four-item modified version of Marital Opinion Questionnaire by Huston, McHale, and Crouter (1986), three category taxonomy by Kelley (1998), measurement model by Anderson and Gerbing (1988), and the equivalent alternative model by Tomarken and Waller (2003). This paper examines Merolla and Zhang’s (2011) research and evaluation of their study, while using many other articles from past…show more content… Using Kelley’s (1998) explication of three general ways partners communicate (direct, indirect, and conditional) Merolla and Zhang hypothesized; offense severity and blameworthiness, will positively affect direct and conditional forgiveness, while negatively affecting indirect forgiveness, sincere acknowledgement will positively predict direct forgiveness and negatively predict indirect and conditional forgiveness, and relational damage will negatively predict direct and indirect forgiveness while positively predict conditional forgiveness. Most of their hypotheses were correct except, offense severity positivity predicted indirect forgiveness, sincere acknowledgement negatively predicted direct forgiveness and positively predicted conditional forgiveness. They also found that direct forgiveness was the most common forgiveness style followed by indirect and then conditional forgiveness, the use of those forgiveness styles is influenced by offense severity, offender blameworthiness, and sincere
