Can a leopard change its spots? The effects of implicit theories of personality on forgiveness via attributions of behavioral stability

People differ in their implicit theories about the malleability of key individual attributes. While some people hold the view that traits are fixed (entity theorists), others believe that they can be changed (incremental theorists). As these beliefs set up an interpretive framework for forming impressions and shaping attributions, they may affect victims' responses to interpersonal transgressions. With two studies, we investigate how victims' implicit theories of personality influence forgiveness following a transgression. Using an autobiographical narrative method, Study 1 (N = 82, college students) shows that having a fixed view of personality is associated with a lower willingness to forgive. In Study 2 (N = 181, adult workers), using a standardized hypothetical scenario of a transgression, we measure three motivations associated with forgiving: avoidance, revenge, and benevolence. Our results provide evidence that attributions of behavioral stability to the offender play a mediating role in the relationship between implicit theories and forgiveness. Having an incremental view of personality leads to lower attributions of behavioral stability to offenders. Such attributions in turn reduce victims' motivations to avoid offenders and also improve positive feelings toward them. However, stability attributions do not decrease the victims' desires to seek revenge against offenders.