{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "id": "apology-repair-2021",
  "canonical_url": "https://brali-lifeos.github.io/evidence/apology-repair-2021/",
  "json_url": "https://brali-lifeos.github.io/evidence/apology-repair-2021/index.json",
  "decision": "propose-protocol",
  "decision_label": "Protocol candidate",
  "reviewed_at": "2026-08-19",
  "reviewed_by": "Brali Evidence Reviewer",
  "source": {
    "title": "Experimental evidence that apologies promote forgiveness by communicating relationship value",
    "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34162912/",
    "type": "randomized-experiment",
    "doi": "10.1038/s41598-021-92373-y",
    "citation_text": "Forster DE, Billingsley J, Burnette JL, et al. Scientific Reports. 2021;11:13107.",
    "study_design": "Controlled 2 × 2 double-randomization experiments manipulating apology and relationship-value information to test causal pathways to forgiveness.",
    "population": "Human participants in controlled interpersonal-transgression scenarios used in the published experiments.",
    "intervention_or_exposure": "Receiving an apology versus no apology, crossed with manipulated relationship-value information.",
    "outcomes": [
      "Forgiveness",
      "Perceived relationship value"
    ]
  },
  "supported_claim": "In the controlled experiments, apologies promoted forgiveness and operated through a causal pathway shared with perceived relationship value. This supports apology as one potentially useful repair signal after a workable interpersonal transgression.",
  "unsupported_or_overstated_claims": [
    "An apology guarantees forgiveness, reconciliation, or restored trust.",
    "The harmed person should forgive, accept the apology, or resume the relationship.",
    "One fixed apology script, cooling-off duration, or delivery deadline is scientifically established.",
    "Apology is an appropriate repair strategy for abuse, coercion, threats, stalking, or other unsafe situations.",
    "The study proves that apology alone resolves complex or repeated relationship conflict."
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Controlled experimental transgression paradigms do not capture every feature of real-world repeated or high-stakes conflict.",
    "Forgiveness is only one outcome and is not equivalent to trust, reconciliation, safety, or durable behavior change.",
    "The effect of apology depends on context, relationship value and the nature of the transgression.",
    "The study does not validate the specific wording or step sequence used in Brali's public repair protocol."
  ],
  "target_hack_ids": [
    "relationship-repair-coach"
  ],
  "target_protocol_ids": [
    "brali:relationship-repair-coach"
  ],
  "risk_flags": [],
  "notes": "Use apology as a bounded repair action: own the behavior, avoid conditional language, offer a concrete corrective step, invite the other person's perspective, and do not demand forgiveness. Safety and boundaries take precedence over repair."
}