Self and other justice beliefs, impulsivity, rumination, and forgiveness: Justice beliefs can both prevent and promote forgiveness

Acts of forgiveness are linked to beliefs about justice. However, a largely unsettled issue is whether strong justice beliefs prevent or promote forgiveness. Moreover, researchers have yet to identify mechanisms that might explain both positive and negative links between justice beliefs and forgiveness. We examined whether forgiveness is differentially linked to beliefs about justice for the self (BJ-self) versus beliefs about justice for others (BJ-others). In addition, we examined whether these associations are mediated by impulsivity and rumination. Participants (N = 278) completed measures of justice beliefs for self and others, impulsivity, rumination, and forgiveness. Structural equation modeling strongly supported an indirect effects model in which BJ-self was positively associated with forgiveness while BJ-others was negatively associated, and in which these divergent relationships were fully mediated by impulsivity and rumination. This study contributes to the literature by clarifying the ways in which justice beliefs may both prevent and promote instances of forgiveness.

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