The antecedents and consequences of interpersonal forgiveness: A meta-analytic review

This article examines the antecedents and outcomes of forgiveness. The interpersonal forgiveness literature is qualitatively reviewed. Antecedents to forgiveness are classified by their proximity to forgiveness based on M. E. McCullough and colleagues, (1998) framework. From most distal to most proximal these antecedents are personality, relationship factors, offense-specific factors, and social-cognitive factors including empathy. The association of these antecedents and several consequences of forgiveness are quantitatively examined in meta-analyses. All investigated variables were significantly related to forgiveness. Empathy was a stronger correlate of forgiveness than any other non-social-cognitive antecedent except for trait agreeableness. Methodological factors and the average age of subjects moderated the relationship between forgiveness and some of its correlates. Implications and future directions are considered.