Understanding of the functions of forgiveness among preschoolers

• Published in: Journal of experimental child psychology 2024-11, Vol.247, p.106036, Article 106036
• Main Authors: Toda, Rizu, Toda, Nazu, Hagihara, Hiromichi, Kanakogi, Yasuhiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Factors; Child; Child Development - physiology; Child, Preschool; Comprehension; Emotions; Female; Forgiveness; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Interpersonal relationship; Japan; Male; Moral understanding; Prosocial behavior; Transgression; Young children
• ISSN: 0022-0965; 1096-0457; 1096-0457
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106036

•We investigated how preschoolers understand the effects of forgiveness.•We focused on relational and emotional changes after forgiveness/unforgiveness.•Children can properly understand the functions of forgiveness by the age of 6.•Understanding of unforgiveness may be acquired later than that of forgiveness. Forgiveness plays an important role in restoring and maintaining cooperative relationships. Previous studies have demonstrated that young children could forgive transgressors both as a third party and as a victim. However, the research on young children’s understanding of forgiveness is scant. This study focused on the two main functions of forgiveness—the restoration of a damaged relationship between the victim and the transgressor and the positive emotional change in the victim toward the transgressor. In this study, 48 4-year-olds (25 girls), 50 5-year-olds (21 girls), and 50 6-year-olds (21 girls) in Japan heard stories in which a victim either did or did not forgive a transgressor. They answered questions about the relationship between the victim and the transgressor and the victim’s feelings toward the transgressor. Regarding the restoration of a damaged relationship, 4- to 6-year-olds understood that the restoration could occur in the presence of forgiveness. Yet, 6-year-olds showed more distinctive belief than 4- and 5-year-olds that the damaged relationship remains unrestored without forgiveness from the victim. For emotional changes, 6-year-olds understood that the forgiving victim would experience positive emotional changes, whereas the unforgiving victim would not. However, 4- and 5-year-olds expected positive emotional changes even without forgiveness, although they anticipated greater changes after forgiveness. The results show that the understanding of the important functions of forgiveness is present at 4 years of age and matures by 6 years of age. Children may develop a sophisticated understanding of the functions of forgiveness later than the actual forgiving behavior.