How forgiveness promotes offender pro‐relational intentions: The mediating role of offender gratitude

Abstract

Although relationship restoration is an important outcome of forgiveness, little is known about how forgiveness facilitates such an outcome. In addition, in forgiveness research, little attention is paid to the perspective of the offender. We address these two shortcomings simultaneously, testing the idea that forgiveness promotes offender gratitude, which in turn encourages offender pro‐relational intentions. Across three experimental studies, participants were induced to believe they had transgressed; recalled a time when they had transgressed; and imagined transgressing. In studies 1 and 2, forgiveness was manipulated; in Study 3, victim motivation for forgiving was manipulated. State gratitude – in comparison with guilt, indebtedness, and positive affect – was consistently found to play the primary mediating role between forgiveness and pro‐relational intentions.

Expressing forgiveness after interpersonal mistreatment: Power and status of forgivers influence transgressors' relationship restoration efforts

“…Our research contributes to the forgiveness literature by delineating contextual factors that make forgiveness effective. Past research revealed inconsistent findings for the effectiveness of forgiveness in promoting relationship restoration (Adams et al, 2015;Hannon et al, 2010;Kelln & Ellard, 1999;Leunissen et al, 2012;McNulty, 2011;McNulty & Russell, 2016;Mooney et al, 2015;Wallace et al, 2008).…”

“…However, research that examined transgressor responses to expressed forgiveness has revealed divergent findings. Some studies found that transgressors respond with restorative actions such as complying with victim requests (Kelln & Ellard, 1999), making amends (Hannon, Rusbult, Finkel, & Kamashiro, 2010;Leunissen, De Cremer, & Folmer, 2012), exhibiting prosocial intentions (Mooney, Strelan, & McKee, 2015), and refraining from repeating transgressions (Wallace, Exline, & Baumeister, 2008). Yet other studies found that forgiveness makes transgressors avoid the victim (Adams et al, 2015) and repeat the transgression (McNulty, 2011;McNulty & Russell, 2016).…”

Estudio de usabilidad y percepción de eficacia de los módulos que componen el Programa Héroe

“…Este módulo comienza con un video psicoeducativo en que se describe el perdón como un complejo proceso que benefi cia al ofensor pero también, y principalmente, a quien perdona (Mooney, Strelan y McKee, 2016). La primera es una actividad de refl exión que invita a recordar alguna situación en la que se ha ofendido o lastimado a alguna persona y ésta le ha perdonado.…”

Incremental Role of Family Relationships and Hurt Intensity in Forgiveness of Family Offenders: A Study of College Students in Taiwan

“…Based on these theoretical frameworks, scholars indicate that the extent to which people forgive in families is influenced not only by the dispositional characteristics of the forgiver, but also by the relationship, the situation in which the transgression occurs, the characteristics of the transgressor and the nature of the offense (see McCullough, Fincham, & Tsang, 2003;Mullet & Girard, 2000;Takaku, Weiner, & Ohbuchi, 2001;Wieselquist, Rusbult, Foster, & Agnew, 1999). In other words, the victims are primarily motivated to forgive the transgressor in order to continue or restore the relationship (Karremans & Van Lange, 2004;Mooney, Strelan, & McKee, 2015).…”

“…Therefore, a feature of the interpersonal aspect of forgiveness is that it involves positive responses to transgressors, variously concep-Psychology tualized as benevolent (McCullough et al, 1998), compassionate and loving (Worthington, 2001), and altruistic (Enright, Freedman, & Rique, 1998). Hence, regardless of the nomenclature, a forgiving response at the interpersonal level implies other-focused concern (Mooney et al, 2015). Scholars also conceptualize forgiveness at different levels of specificity, such as a trait, as a tendency toward a specific relationship, and as a response toward a specific offense (see Fincham, Hall, & Beach, 2006;McCullough, Hoyt, & Rachal, 2000).…”