Effects Of Interpersonal Mindfulness On Forgiveness

Forgiveness refers to the response of an individual after being treated unfairly.Individuals with high levels of forgiveness are less likely to retaliate against the offender or generate avoidance motivation.The exploration of its contributing factors is conducive to find out methods to improve interpersonal relationships.Previous studies found that mindfulness can positively predict forgiveness through the mediating effect of perspective-taking.The concept of interpersonal mindfulness is the expansion and deepening of dispositional mindfulness.It refers to the awareness of self and others during interpersonal interactions,with a non-judgmental and non-reactive attitude on the ongoing experience.As a new concept,the theoretical and empirical research of interpersonal mindfulness is needed to be further verified.The purpose of this study is to investigate whether interpersonal mindfulness is more suitable for the interpersonal domain than trait mindfulness,to examine the predictive effect of interpersonal mindfulness on forgiveness and the mechanisms behind them.Based on the theoretical model of how mindfulness affects interpersonal relationships,Cognitive Neo-Associationistic theory,and the social-psychological theory of forgiveness.The present study analyzed how interpersonal mindfulness affects forgiveness and the underline cognitive and emotional mechanism.By introducing anger rumination and anger,this study proposed a multiple mediation model between interpersonal mindfulness and forgiveness.There were two studies in this paper,aiming to measure implicit and explicit forgiveness,respectively.Using a convenient sampling method,312 college students were recruited.Interpersonal mindfulness,trait mindfulness,anger rumination,and anger were measured by questionnaires.Study 1 was aimed to explore the relationship between interpersonal mindfulness and explicit forgiveness,and explicit forgiveness was measured by the questionnaire method under the recall paradigm.Besides,Study 2 was aimed to explore the relationship between interpersonal mindfulness and implicit forgiveness,and implicit forgiveness was measured by the dictator paradigm after offended.Based on the above empirical studies,the following conclusions were drawn:(1)Interpersonal mindfulness was significantly positively related to forgiveness,and negatively related to anger rumination and anger.(2)Interpersonal mindfulness accounted for variance over and above trait mindfulness concerning forgiveness.(3)Anger rumination partially mediated the relationship between interpersonal mindfulness and forgiveness.(4)Anger partially mediated the relationship between interpersonal mindfulness and forgiveness.(5)There was a chain mediating pathway of anger rumination and anger between interpersonal mindfulness and forgiveness.The above conclusions could apply to both explicit and implicit forgiveness.By investigating the relationship between interpersonal mindfulness and forgiveness,this study illustrated that interpersonal mindfulness was indirectly associated with forgiveness through the independently mediating effects of anger rumination and state anger,as well as a chain mediating effect of both.These results indicated that interpersonal mindfulness may reduce the level of anger rumination and state anger,thereby enhancing forgiveness.This study was helpful to explore the evidence in the research of the relationship between interpersonal mindfulness and forgiveness.It was beneficial to expand and deepen the study of mindfulness and put forward feasible suggestions for alleviating interpersonal conflicts and promoting forgiveness.Finally,future research could be carried out in-depth in the selection of mediating variables,experimental paradigms,and experimental methods.