LAUSR

There has been a rapid growth in research on forgiveness over the past two decades. Although researchers have not reached a consensus on the definition of forgiveness (Worthington, 2020), there is general agreement that forgiveness is a changing process of prosocial motivation toward the transgressor, including changes in cognition, emotion, and motivation. Previous studies found that responding to offenses with forgiveness is associated with greater mental and physical health (Davis et al., 2015; Toussaint et al., 2015). Greater forgiveness is related to less neuroticism, depression, and rumination (Brown, 2003; Berry et al., 2005; McCullough et al., 2007), increased subjective well-being (Toussaint and Friedman, 2009), and improved interpersonal relationships (Riek and Mania, 2012). Individuals with lower levels of forgiveness also have higher levels of blood pressure, heart rate, and stress perception (Lawler-Row et al., 2011). Our understanding of forgiveness has increased remarkably with the breadth and depth of scientific research into many aspects of forgiveness. However, the process of forgiveness remains unclear. Due to the complexity of forgiveness, more research is needed to explore the process of forgiveness and the factors that affect the process. This current Frontiers Research Topic, brings together 10 articles that illustrate these questions, examining the process of forgiveness from different perspectives.