Evaluating the model investigating the relationship between apology and the marital relationships quality: the mediating of marital empathy and emotional forgiveness

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the model of relationship between apology and the marital relationships quality mediating emotional forgiveness and marital empathy in a correlational design (i.e., structural equation modeling). 231 married males and females were selected among all married males and females in Shahrekord city using multi-stage random sampling method, and according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. They responded to Quality of Marital Index (QMI), Emotional Forgiveness Scale (EFS), Batson Empathy Adjectives (BEA), and Apology Components Scale (ACS). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equations analysis, and by SPSS (version 23) and AMOS statistical software's. The results showed that evaluated structural model had good fit. The apology directly and indirectly (with mediating emotional forgiveness and marital empathy) affected the marital relationships quality. Thus, could be concluded that apology had a major role in the marital relationships quality through emotional forgiveness and marital empathy.