In the wake of betrayal: Amends, forgiveness, and the resolution of betrayal

The present work advances a dyadic model of victim and perpetrator interactions following betrayals, and the effect of their interactions on betrayal resolution and relationship quality. The authors propose that perpetrator amends promotes victim forgiveness and that both amends and forgiveness contribute to betrayal resolution. In Study 1, married couples discussed unresolved betrayal incidents, and their behavior was rated by partners and trained observers. In Study 2, dating individuals used interaction records to describe betrayal incidents perpetrated by themselves or the partner over a 2-week period. In Study 3, dating partners both provided retrospective descriptions of prior betrayal incidents. All studies yielded good support for model predictions, revealing parallel findings from the point of view of victims, perpetrators, and external observers.