Feeling bad and doing good: Forgiveness through the lens of uninvolved others

Previous forgiveness research has mostly focused on victims’ forgiveness for transgressors, and variables expected to promote forgiveness, such as transgressors’ repentance and atonement, have been collectively branded as apology. However, decisions concerning forgiveness frequently occur outside of dyadic contexts, and the unique roles of repentance and atonement in achieving forgiveness, despite their preeminence in theology and law, have received little empirical attention. Across four experiments (N=601), we show that repentance and atonement independently promote third-party forgiveness for a variety of harms, even without direct apology and even in disinterested contexts. Our findings provide a systematic examination of third-party forgiveness disentangled from personal involvement, resulting in a clearer understanding of components facilitating forgiveness.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2018

Author dc:creator

• Watanabe, Shoko

Contributors dc:contributor

• Laurent, Sean M.
• Albarracín, Dolores

• Third Party Forgiveness, Atonement, Repentance, Moral Psychology, Cooperation

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2018 Shoko Watanabe

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/101606

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/101606