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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence
08:05

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence

Published on: March 23, 2022

Forgiveness and relationship satisfaction: mediating mechanisms.

Scott R Braithwaite1, Edward A Selby, Frank D Fincham

  • 1Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, UT, USA. srbraithwaite@byu.edu

Journal of Family Psychology : JFP : Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43)
|June 29, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Forgiving a romantic partner boosts relationship satisfaction by increasing relational effort and reducing negative conflict. These findings highlight key mechanisms linking forgiveness to relationship well-being.

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Last Updated: May 31, 2026

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08:05

A Procedure to Study Stress-Induced Relapse of Heroin Seeking after Punishment-Imposed Abstinence

Published on: March 23, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Relationship Science

Background:

  • Forgiveness is linked to relationship satisfaction, but mediating mechanisms remain unclear.
  • Understanding how forgiveness impacts relationships is crucial for relationship science.
  • Previous research has not fully established the pathways through which forgiveness enhances relationship satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mediating roles of relational effort and negative conflict in the forgiveness-relationship satisfaction link.
  • To test a theoretical model proposing that increased relational effort and decreased negative conflict explain how forgiveness improves relationship satisfaction.
  • To examine these proposed mechanisms across two independent studies using diverse methodologies.

Main Methods:

  • Employed structural equations modeling (SEM) to analyze the proposed mediation model.
  • Conducted two cross-sectional and longitudinal studies with substantial sample sizes (N = 523 and N = 446).
  • Utilized multiple measures of forgiveness and controlled for baseline relationship satisfaction and interpersonal commitment.

Main Results:

  • Confirmed that increased relational effort and decreased negative conflict significantly mediated the association between forgiveness and relationship satisfaction.
  • Demonstrated the robustness of these findings across concurrent and longitudinal data.
  • Observed consistent results across different measures of forgiveness and participant samples.

Conclusions:

  • Relational effort and conflict management are key mechanisms through which forgiveness enhances relationship satisfaction.
  • Findings support theories of forgiveness involving motivational transformation and dual positive/negative dimensions.
  • Implications for therapeutic interventions aimed at improving relationship quality through forgiveness are discussed.