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Contemporary Family Therapy
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-024-09728-6
ORIGINAL PAPER
Parents’ Proclivity toApologize toTheir Romantic Partner isAssociated
withPositive Parental Attitudes onApologies andParental Apology
Prompting
MelanieA.Reyes1 · JanetE.Kuebli1 · EddieM.Clark1
Accepted: 11 December 2024
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024
Abstract
The willingness to apologize and forgive is robustly associated with relational and personal wellbeing, and thus, it may be
worthwhile for children to be taught about the importance of apologies and forgiveness through apology prompting from
their parents. However, there is limited research on parental apology prompting, as well as on parental attitudes on the
developmental importance of child apologies. Guided by Family System Theory, we investigated whether the proclivity to
apologize to and forgive a romantic partner is associated with positive parental attitudes on apologies and parental apology
prompting. We also examined the role of childhood experiences with apologies, and moderators of these associations. We
recruited a sample of parents of 3–10-year-olds. Parents’ proclivity to apologize to their romantic partner and their childhood
experiences with apologies were positively associated with positive parental attitudes on apologies and parental apology
prompting. The association between the proclivity to apologize to the romantic partner and parental apology prompting
was mediated by positive parental attitudes on the developmental importance of child apologies. The proclivity to retaliate
against the romantic partner was negatively associated with positive parental attitudes on apologies and parental apology
prompting. Political conservatism and romantic relationship satisfaction moderated the association between the proclivity
to apologize to the romantic partner and parental apology prompting. Further, we share measures of childhood experiences
with apologies and parental attitudes on apologies that may be useful for future research. Results suggest that it may be
advantageous for parent couples to prompt apologies from their children.
Keywords Proclivity to apologize· Proclivity to forgive· Apologies· Forgiveness· Apology prompting· Parenting·
Parental attitudes· Political conservatism· Relationship satisfaction
Introduction
After committing an interpersonal transgression, giving
a sincere apology is likely to help restore the relationship
(Guilfoyle etal., 2019; Lewis etal., 2015; Reinders Folmer
etal., 2021). Indeed, this is especially the case in relation-
ships characterized by more closeness and commitment,
such as romantic relationships (Schumann, 2012; Schumann
& Orehek, 2019). In most cases, receiving a sincere apology
facilitates the process of forgiveness (Jeter & Brannon, 2018;
Kelley & Waldron, 2005), and in the context of romantic
relationships, forgiveness has been associated with greater
levels of relationship satisfaction and less likelihood of dis-
solution (Braithwaite etal., 2016; Hall & Fincham, 2006;
Heintzelman etal., 2014). Moreover, the proclivity to apolo-
gize and forgive has been associated with greater levels of
psychological wellbeing (Bono etal., 2008; Exline etal.,
2007; Howell etal., 2011). Yet, despite the benefits that
come with it, not everyone apologizes to the same degree to
their romantic partner (Howell etal., 2011), and people dif-
fer in their tendency to forgive interpersonal transgressions
as well (Braithwaite etal., 2016). Overall, it is necessary to
conduct research on the proclivity to apologize and forgive.
* Melanie A. Reyes
melanie.reyes@slu.edu
Janet E. Kuebli
janet.kuebli@health.slu.edu
Eddie M. Clark
eddie.clark@health.slu.edu
1 Department ofPsychology, Saint Louis University, St.Louis,
USA
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