Forgiveness and Physiological Concomitants and Outcomes

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview of empirical work that has examined relations between forgiveness and the various physiological parameters comprising the human stress response. Accepting the risk of oversimplifying human physiology, we chose to present study findings according to the primary organ systems (i.e., central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, HPA system) being measured in each study. We do not mean to ignore the complexity of the feedback systems that connect organ systems and the underlying physiological processes, but we have chosen this approach for ease of presentation and to acknowledge that most research has yet to employ more sophisticated multisystem measurement methods. It should be noted that most of the studies that comprise this literature also involve measurement of non-physiological parameters, including both self-report measures of affect and symptoms as well as observable behaviors. Because the purpose of this chapter is to review the relation between forgiveness and physiological functioning, only results pertaining to parameters that contribute to this purpose are considered. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)