An Exploratory Study of the Associations Between Epstein–Barr Virus Antibodies and Forgiveness Among Recipients of Relational Transgressions in the USA

TL;DR

This study explores how forgiveness in high-value relationships may improve immune function, as measured by Epstein–Barr virus antibodies.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel integration of evolutionary theory and stress-coping frameworks to examine forgiveness and immune health.

Findings

Forgiveness showed no significant link to EBV antibodies at low relationship value.

At moderate and high relationship value, forgiveness was significantly associated with lower EBV antibodies.

Higher relationship value strengthens the immune benefit of forgiveness.

Abstract

Forgiveness is an important component of many of the world’s religions that also has benefits for individuals’ health and relationships. Research on the health benefits of forgiveness is couched predominately in the stress and coping framework, which views forgiveness as buffering the stress associated with unforgiving feelings. This exploratory study (N = 47) elaborated on the stress and coping framework by investigating it in conversation with an evolutionary approach. Specifically, this study examined one’s own forgiveness index (i.e., the interaction of exploitation risk and relationship value) as moderating an association between forgiveness and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) antibodies. The results indicated that forgiveness shared no significant association with EBV antibodies at low (16th percentile) levels of relationship value (b = − 11, p = .643), but shared an increasingly significant negative association at moderate (50th percentile: b = − 49, p = .038) and high (84th percentile: b = − 84, p = .009) levels, suggesting that forgiveness was more strongly linked to enhanced immune function when occurring in higher valued relationships. Implications for religion, theory, and methodological comparison are discussed.

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