Forgiveness in Romantic Relationships: A Comparison Across the Genders

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to see whether there exist gender differences in forgiveness in romantic relationships. The study also explores the reasons for forgiveness between males and females in romantic relationships. The study has made use of a mixed approach, employing both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase I used the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory 18-Item Version (TRIM-18) developed by McCullough, Root and Cohen (2006) on a sample size of 60 (30 males and 30 females) participants. Phase II was the qualitative part, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the semi structured interview sessions of 5 males and 5 females from the original sample of 60 participants. The results showed that there was no significant gender difference in forgiveness in romantic relationships. However, there was a difference in how both the genders perceived each other to be more forgiving as shown through the thematic analysis. An additional t test showed there is a significant difference in forgiveness levels of employees and students of the same age group.