Marital Partners' Perceptions of Effective Message Repair

摘要

Typologies exist for both hurtful messages and repair strategies. The typologies help relational partners reconcile problems that arise in relationships, but it can be challenging to know when the problem is truly resolved. The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of the effectiveness of attempts at repair. One hundred thirty-one currently married individuals provided qualitative data to explain how they knew the marriage progressed after a hurtful message. Six categories emerged from the data: identification, nonverbal affirmation, behavior alteration, taboo topics, triviality, and ineffective repairs.