Forgiving minds : unraveling the role of executive functioning and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation

Kurzfassung/Abstract

The current study investigated the relationship among executive functioning, activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and forgiveness among students enrolled in Christian colleges in the United States. Guided by the regulatory model of forgiveness framework, employing a two-study methodology, our aim was to uncover the neurocognitive correlates of forgiveness. In the first study, 159 participants (67% women) completed neuropsychological tasks sensitive to PFC impairments alongside self-reported forgiveness measures. Results revealed a significant positive correlation between executive functioning and both state and dispositional forgiveness. In the second study, 36 participants (46% women) engaged in an ultimatum game followed by a dictator game, with changes in regional cerebral blood oxygenation (rCBO2) serving as an indicator of dlPFC activation. We found heightened right dlPFC activation during fair allocation of money to unfair opponents compared to unfair allocation within the same participants, suggesting a higher cognitive load in forgiving decision-making. Despite limitations associated with convenience sampling and a small sample size, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying forgiveness, with potential implications for interventions aimed at fostering forgiveness and enhancing overall well-being.