Does Malevolent Forgiveness Influence Relationship and Affective Outcomes?

Abstract

Forgiveness, as well as the affective outcomes associated with it, is conventionally understood as a benevolent intrapsychic phenomenon characterised by goodwill and reconciliation towards one's transgressor. But what happens when forgiveness is expressed unconventionally? This paper introduces the concept of malevolent forgiveness: a harm-oriented behaviour designed to serve a beneficial interpersonal function for the victim, at the expense of the transgressor. Malevolent forgiveness is characterised by three theorised sub-motives: Revenge, Moral Superiority, and Indebtedness. While the internal state of forgiveness is, by definition, benevolent, the interpersonal behaviour of communicating forgiveness can be motivated my malintent and may be used to serve a variety of functional purposes. The affective and relational outcomes of benevolent forgiveness are well documented within forgiveness literature, and are generally positive with a few exceptions. This paper is concerned with the affective and relational outcomes of malevolently motivated forgiveness, and specifically, to what extent do both benevolent and malevolent motivations predict relationship quality (relational outcome) as well as justice satisfaction, depression/anxiety/stress levels, and positive and negative affect. The results of this paper found that benevolence positively predicted relationship quality while malevolence had no association. Malevolence negatively predicted justice satisfaction and contentment, while benevolence was not significantly associated. Neither benevolence nor malevolence was associated with depression, anxiety, and stress levels. More research is needed to determine the degree to which malevolent intentions can be attributed to revenge, moral superiority and indebtedness motivations. Keywords: Forgiveness; Malevolent Forgiveness; Affect; Relationships