Effect of empathy, forgiveness on urban residents' life satisfaction / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the effect of empathy and forgiveness on urban residents' life satisfaction.Methods Interpersonal Reactivity Index(IRI),Trait Forgivingness Scale(TFS) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale(SWLS) were administrated to 3537 participants living in several provinces in China.Results ①The variable of perspective-taking had significant main effect on both forgiveness and life satisfaction(β=0.409,P ＜0.01 ; β=0.145,P ＜0.01),and particularly personal distress had significant negative effect on both forgiveness and life satisfaction (β=-0.291,P ＜ 0.01 ; β=-0.181,P ＜ 0.01)②Forgiveneas had significant main effect on life satisfaction(β=0.142,P＜0.01).③The relationship between perspective-taking and life satisfaction was partially mediated by forgiveness(P＜0.01).The relationship between personal distress and life satisfaction was also partially mediated by forgiveness (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Perspective-taking and personal distress has different predicting effect on life satisfaction,and forgiveness plays an important mediating role in the relationship between them.