The Forgiveness Implicit Association Test

Abstract

Across nine studies involving N = 1174 participants, we report the development and testing of the Forgiveness Implicit Association Test (IAT). We identify appropriate contrast categories and word content (Studies 1–3); address issues related to implicit-explicit convergence (Studies 4 and 5); and test a double dissociation model to examine the conditions under which the Forgiveness IAT predicts transgression-specific forgiveness (Studies 6–9). We also conducted meta-analyses to examine the extent to which the Forgiveness IAT is resistant to socially desirable responding, relative to self-report measures; and the extent to which individuals implicitly prefer forgiveness to several punitive alternatives (e.g., revenge). The Forgiveness IAT appears to be a good complementary measure to existing trait-level self-report forgiveness measures.