A Value-Congruent Bias in the Forgiveness Forecasts of Religious People

Given the weak and potentially tenuous association between religiosity and actual forgiveness reported in the literature, why is it that religious people consistently predict they would forgive interpersonal offenses? Using a newly devised method for testing multiple mediator models, two studies were conducted to examine the hypothesis that religious people's forgiveness values mediate the relationship between religiosity and forgiveness forecasts, independent of self-perceived past forgiveness tendencies. The first study focused on predicted forgiveness of hypothetical offenders, and the second examined forecasted forgiveness of those responsible for the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11. 2001. In both studies. the mediating role of forgiveness values (independent of past forgiveness tendencies) was established. suggesting a value-congruent bias in religious people's forgiveness forecasts.