An evolutionary psychology view of forgiveness: individuals, groups, and culture

• Published in: Current opinion in psychology Vol. 44; pp. 275 - 280
• Main Authors: McCauley, Thomas G., Billingsley, Joseph, McCullough, Michael E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2022
• Subjects: Conflict; Cooperation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Evolutionary psychology; Forgiveness; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Prosocial behavior; Reconciliation; Evolutionary psychology; Forgiveness; Conflict; Cooperation; Prosocial behavior; Reconciliation

We review the logic of an evolutionary perspective on forgiveness, highlighting how insight into the likely function of forgiveness — solving adaptive problems related to acquiring and maintaining social relationships — has productively guided research and theory. A combination of experimental, long...