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Why so complex? Emotional mediation of revenge, forgiveness, and reconciliation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2012

Filippo Aureli
Affiliation:
Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, CP 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. [email protected] Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom. [email protected]://www.ljmu.ac.uk/NSP/98732.htm
Colleen M. Schaffner
Affiliation:
Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, CP 91190 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. [email protected] Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ, United Kingdom. [email protected]

Abstract

Humans have the cognitive abilities to implement the revenge and forgiveness systems hypothesized by McCullough et al., but the evidence suggests that simpler processes may underlie most revenge cases in humans and other animals. The mediating role of emotions can be at the basis of the flexibility needed in the hypothesized systems and the associated assessment of social relationships.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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