Forgiving in East Asian Cultures : Theory and Empirical Research

Forgiveness has become one of the hot topics in psychological research; it has been conducted from studying the psychological construct of forgiveness to the efficacy of interventions to promote forgiveness. Despite the surge in forgiveness research, there is still a lack of understanding of cultural differences in forgiveness. With limited investigation of the role of culture in shaping forgiveness, there are still questions about forgiveness that are yet to be answered. Is forgiveness valued and practiced in similar ways in different cultural contexts? Is the definition and manifestation of forgiveness different in the East and the West? Is forgiveness measured in the same way across cultures? Are the individual and group processes of forgiveness identical in various cultures? The present chapter attempts to contribute to the advancements in understanding of forgiveness by taking a cross-cultural perspective, and it is devoted to: (a) defining forgiveness from both the Western and Eastern views, (b) reviewing existing research of forgiveness in different East Asian cultures, (c) summarizing the body of empirical findings that have been reached in various Asian cultures; and (d) suggesting future research directions on forgiveness and related constructs in Asian cultures.