Modulation of forgiveness on processing hurt situations: A study of event-related potentials

• Yangen Zhou

  Shanghai Normal University and Nanjing Normal University

• Jiamei Lu

  Shanghai Normal University

• Xiaochen Tang

  Shanghai Normal University

• Chaoyi Hu

  Shanghai Normal University

• Haibin Wang

  Shanghai Normal University

To explore the neuro-mechanism of the time course of processing a hurt situation, we analyzed event-related potentials (ERPs) generated in the brain in response to stimuli in individuals with different degrees of forgiveness. Participants were 216 university students. Of the early ERP components, the negative-deflecting N1 was modulated neither by degree of forgiveness nor by the hurt situation, and the positive-deflecting P2 was larger for low-forgiveness than for high-forgiveness participants, and for low-hurt than for high-hurt situations. The N2, which identifies and encodes stimulus, was enhanced in the high-forgiveness group and for high-hurt situations. Importantly, the late positive component (LPC) stage of stimulus evaluation was larger in the high-forgiveness group for high-hurt situations, but in the low- forgiveness group was evident for low-hurt situations. These data indicate that the modulation of forgiveness on processing hurt situations occurs at the late stage of information processing.

1. Yangen Zhou, Shanghai Normal University and Nanjing Normal University
   Education College, and Taizhou College
2. Jiamei Lu, Shanghai Normal University
   Education College
3. Xiaochen Tang, Shanghai Normal University
   Education College
4. Chaoyi Hu, Shanghai Normal University
   Education College
5. Haibin Wang, Shanghai Normal University
   Education College

• PDF
  (USD 29)