Perceived goal instrumentality is associated with forgiveness: A test of the valuable relationships hypothesis

Smith, Adam, McCauley, Thomas G., Yagi, Ayano, Yamaura, Kazuho, Shimizu, Hiroshi, McCullough, Michael E., Ohtsubo, Yohsuke

doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2019.09.003

Three autobiographical studies tested the valuable relationships hypothesis of forgiveness. Although previous studies revealed that relationship value predicts interpersonal forgiveness, the measure of relationship value may be conflated with affective assessments of the relationship with the transgressor, which might have caused a criterion contamination problem. Therefore, we assessed the goal-related instrumentality of the transgressor (i.e., how useful the transgressor is for helping the victim to achieve his/her goals in fitness-relevant domains). Three studies, one involving a Japanese student sample (Study 1), a second involving Japanese community sample (Study 2), and a third involving U.S. community sample (Study 3), convergently showed that perceived goal instrumentality, as well as a latent relationship value variable estimated from multiple measures of relationship value, are associated with forgiveness. Moreover, this association could be explained in part by the intermediate association of perceived goal instrumentality with empathy both in Japan and the U.S.

Perceived goal instrumentality is associated with forgiveness: A test of the valuable relationships hypothesis

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