Citation

Gong P, Zhang J, Liu J, He LL, Guo W. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 151: e106057.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106057

PMID

36801655

Abstract

The stress-and-coping theory of forgiveness posits that forgiveness and aggression are alternative ways of coping with stress of interpersonal offences. Inspired by the link between aggression and MAOA-uVNTR (a genetic variant involving in catabolism of monoamines), we investigated the relationship between this variant and forgiveness with two studies. Study 1 examined the relationship between the MAOA-uVNTR and trait forgiveness in students, and study 2 examined the effect of this variant on third-party forgiveness in response to situational offences in male inmates. The results showed that the MAOA-H (a high activity allele) was associated with higher trait forgiveness in male students and greater third-party forgiveness to accidentally committed harm and attempted but failed harm in male inmates than the MAOA-L. These findings highlight the bright side of MAOA-uVNTR on trait and situational forgiveness.

Language: en

Keywords

Accidentally committed harm; Attempted but failed harm; Monoamine oxidase A; Situational forgiveness; Trait forgiveness