Instructor Misbehavior and Forgiveness: An Examination of Student Communicative Outcomes in the Aftermath of Instructor Misbehavior

Using Attribution Theory as a theoretical framework, this study explored the role of forgiveness in impacting student nonverbal responsiveness, out-of-class communication (OCC), and perceptions of cognitive and affective learning following instructor misbehavior. Additionally, the role of instructor nonverbal immediacy was examined. Participants included 144 undergraduate students who reported on their perceptions of instructor misbehavior. Results indicated that students’ perceptions of instructor misbehavior severity and blameworthiness were negative predictors, and instructor nonverbal immediacy was a positive predictor, of students’ forgiveness. Path analyses indicated that forgiveness components mediated the relationships between misbehavior severity and instructor blameworthiness and students’ communicative behaviors, where increased forgiveness predicted increased OCC and nonverbal responsiveness. Additionally, forgiveness components mediated the relationships between perceptions of instructor blameworthiness with students’ perceptions of cognitive learning, with increased forgiveness predicting increased perceptions of cognitive learning. Results complement the emerging body of literature on forgiveness of instructor misbehavior.