Exam 10: The Practice of Forgiveness and Reconciliation

One effective way to offer forgiveness to another is to ask the person to meet a condition that is important to you.

Brett has once again clobbered his brother Tyler over the head with a toy. Immediately their mother pulls Brett aside and tells him to go over to his brother and apologize. Brett glances in Tyler's direction and says (with a bit of sarcasm) "Sorry." Brett's apology is an example of which of the following forms of apology?

Individuals are more likely to renegotiate a relationship through forgiveness when they know which of the following?

When Lisa says to her husband, "You'd make a lousy father," she is communicating which type of hurtful message?

According to the author of this chapter, men and women tend to hold different views of forgiveness. What are the significant gender biases with respect to forgiveness? Describe a specific event and the ways in which gendered views of forgiveness may have influenced the people and/or situation.

According to the text, sometimes forgiveness is best approached as a decision, in order to give the person(s) something to "do.

A common misconception about forgiveness is that it excuses the behavior or situation.

Differentiate between implicit and explicit forms of forgiveness. What role can "gestures" play?

Jim and Susan are getting a divorce, and have been going to court to obtain a custody settlement. Jim suddenly realizes that his fight for the children has more to do with hurting Susan than with the children's well-being (they both are good parents to the children). Jim is portraying which stage in the forgiveness process?

Your book states that forgiving yourself can be harder than obtaining forgiveness from the person you hurt. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

Sarah has recently been robbed and is leery of leaving her apartment if unnecessary. According Layton's forgiveness process, Sarah is in the midst of which of the following steps?

Which of the dimensions of interpersonal conflict is most relevant to the discussion of offering and accepting forgiveness?

Which of the following is characteristic of forgiveness?

Part of the process of forgiving someone is to face the anger you feel.

Explain how the TRIP elements of power may help or hinder the process of reconciliation.

In the phase of "transcendence," a person is able to stop obsessing over images and messages from the past.

Identify and describe an incident in which you could benefit from the choice to forgive another person and/or reconcile with her/him. What would keep you from making that choice?

Unlike giving forgiveness, receiving forgiveness is a simple task.

Your book says that memories are essential to the forgiveness process, since they may help you become less susceptible to repeated injury.

According to the list of stages in the forgiveness process, what is the chronology of the following statements, (1) "Why hasn't something like what happened to me happened to her," (2) "How would life be different if I forgave him," (3) "I can't believe this happened to me," and (4) "I made it through this experience and no longer harbor resentment?"