Abstract
Who is more likely to forgive, given that justice is important and motivating for people? In this article, we argue that the relation between justice and forgiveness depends on the type of justice involved; specifically, the goals of justice, i. e. retributive versus inclusive. We also explored the influence of motivational values on justice goals and forgiveness. Using data from 178 undergraduate psychology students who responded to measures of retributive and inclusive justice attitudes, forgiveness attitudes and dispositions, and values, we found support for our hypotheses that retributive justice goals are negatively related to forgiving attitudes and dispositions; inclusive justice goals are positively related to forgiveness; and benevolence and power values play the dominant role in predicting forgiveness. The results have implications for how the relation between justice and forgiveness is conceptualised and applied.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 126-142 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Social Justice Research |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2011 |
Keywords
- Forgiveness
- Punishment goals
- Restorative justice
- Retributive justice
- Values