Neuropsychological correlates of forgiveness

A recent study of individuals with traumatic brain injury suggests that forgiveness is a neurologically based function related to decreased self-orientation associated with decreased right parietal lobe (RPL) functioning. The current study attempted to replicate these results using 23 individuals with diagnosed seizure disorders. Neuropsychological tests of bilateral frontal, temporal, and parietal lobe functioning were used as indices of cerebral integrity and correlated with a self-report measure of forgiveness. Results indicated that frontal lobe and RPL functions were significantly and negatively correlated with forgiveness. A forward linear regression indicated that only RPL functions predict unique variance in forgiveness. The results support a neuropsychological model of forgiveness that suggests it is related to: (1) decreased self-orientation associated with decreased RPL function, which is experienced as a decreased focus on the perceived wrong to the self; and (2) decreased attention associated with decreased frontal lobe functioning, which is experienced as decreased rumination associated with feeling wronged. Research and practical implications are discussed.