Granting forgiveness: State and trait evidence for genetic and gender indirect effects through empathy

ABSTRACT

This research advances the forgiveness literature by identifying genetic and gender predictors that operate through empathy. In a sample of 202 (101 males, 101 females), both the oxytocin receptor gene single nucleotide polymorphism rs53576 and gender had indirect effects on trait forgiveness through trait empathy. Furthermore, rs53576 and gender had indirect effects on state interpersonal forgiveness through trait empathy and state empathy for one’s real-life offender. Simulation-based regression analyses with 10,000 repetitions on an additive model showed stronger evidence for the effect of gender (females > males) than rs53576 (GGs > A-carriers) on most empathy and forgiveness measures. Further, rs53576 effects on empathy were stronger at the state than trait level. Overall, this work advances knowledge of interpersonal forgiveness predictors, shows the importance of balancing gender with sufficient sample sizes in studies of rs53576, points to the value of investigating state empathy effects and demonstrates genetic and gender indirect effects on forgiveness through empathy.

KEYWORDS:

• Accountability
• empathy
• forgiveness
• gender
• genetics
• oxytocin
• rs53576

Acknowledgments

We thank Robert Vlisides-Henry, Samantha Moffat, Morgan Miller, Elizabeth Perkins, Chloe Werkema, Madeleine Ryan, Marina Milad, Audrey Black, Fallon Richie and Nicholas Pikaart for assistance with data collection, and Elliott Johnson for assistance in genotyping. We are grateful to The Frost Research Center for a research grant to purchase materials for DNA collection. In part, this publication was made possible through the support of a grant (TRT0171) from the Templeton Religion Trust to the first author. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Templeton Religion Trust. This research was also supported in part by an award to from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute through the Undergraduate Science Education Program.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute [52007545]; Frost Research Center [GDG2015]; Templeton Religion Trust [TRT0171].