Expressing Forgiveness As A Prestige-Oriented Strategy

Authors:

Abstract: The common belief that forgiveness is a virtue suggests that expressing forgiveness after an interpersonal offense can enhance the forgiver’s reputation as a virtuous person. The current research explores how victims of offense view the reputational consequences of expressing forgiveness and how these perceptions influence their actual forgiveness expression. In two studies, I found that individuals with a high prestige orientation—those motivated primarily by desires for respect and admiration—are more likely to see the reputational benefits of expressing forgiveness and, consequently, are more likely to express forgiveness following an offense. The findings also indicate that prestige-oriented individuals tend to display forgiveness only in situations that are publicly visible, suggesting that they may use forgiveness expressions to manage their reputation.

Track: ORG

Keywords: Forgiveness; Interpersonal offense, Prestige orientation, Reputation