Managing Hurt and Disappointment: Improving Communication of Reproach and Apology

The resolution of transgressions in close relationships often depends on how victims reproach offenders and how offenders explain. A research-based framework for teaching clients how to communicate when they are upset (reproach) and how to respond when someone is upset with them (apology) was evaluated using a between-groups (control, treatment) randomized psychoeducational intervention. We tested whether a 2.5-hour workshop that taught skills for communicating reproach and apology changed participants' videotaped ratings of role-played reproaches and apologies. Participants were 111 undergraduate students. Video-recorded behavioral data were collected pre-test, post-test, and at 2-4-week follow-up. Workshop participants exhibited higher levels of constructive emotional reactions than control participants, though the differences were not maintained at follow-up. This brief workshop provides a basis for interventions to improve communication while managing transgressions in many settings (e.g., an adjunct ...