Forgiveness and Personality in a Chinese Cultural Context

Abstract

This research tested the hypotheses that forgiveness in collectivist China is influenced by the salience of the interdependent self and other-oriented personality factors rather than the salience of the independent self or individually oriented personality factors as in the Western literature. The relationships between forgiveness and some emic personality variables including Ren Qing (relationship orientation), Inner Peace of Mind, Interpersonal Harmony, Saving Self\'s Face, Saving Other\'s Face, Anxiety, and Independent / Interdependent Conceptions of Self were investigated with a sample of 316 college students from the People\'s Republic of China. Examination of correlates between measures of those scales and the Chinese-Mullet Forgiveness Questionnaire showed that, as predicted, forgiveness was strongly related with Interpersonal Harmony, Saving Other\'s Face, Relationship Orientation, and the salience of the Interdependent Self, but no significant relationships were found with other personality correlates.

IFE PsychologIA Vol. 16 (1) 2007: pp. 1-15