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It takes more to forgive: The role of executive control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2012

Johan C. Karremans  and
Reine C. van der Wal
Johan C. Karremans
Affiliation:
Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands. j.karremans@psych.ru.nlhttp://www.ru.nl/socialpsychology/faculty/dr_johan_karremans/R.vanderwal@psych.ru.nlhttp://www.ru.nl/socialpsychology/phd-students/reine-van-der-wal/
Reine C. van der Wal
Affiliation:
Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands. j.karremans@psych.ru.nlhttp://www.ru.nl/socialpsychology/faculty/dr_johan_karremans/R.vanderwal@psych.ru.nlhttp://www.ru.nl/socialpsychology/phd-students/reine-van-der-wal/
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Abstract

The target article's evolutionary approach provides an excellent framework for understanding when and why people retaliate or forgive. We argue that recent findings on the basic processes in forgiveness – particularly, the role of executive control – can further refine the authors' proposed model. Specifically, the lack of executive control may restrict the explanatory power of relationship value and exploitation risk.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 36 , Issue 1 , February 2013 , pp. 25
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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