Backbiting and gossip الغيبة

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱجۡتَنِبُواْ كَثِيرࣰ ا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثۡمࣱۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُواْ وَلَا يَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًاۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمۡ أَن يَأۡكُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِيهِ مَيۡتࣰ ا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابࣱ رَّحِيمࣱ‏

Believers, avoid making too many assumptions- some assumptions are sinful- and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs: would any of you like to eat the flesh of your dead brother? No, you would hate it. So be mindful of God: God is ever relenting, most merciful

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا يَسۡخَرۡ قَوۡمࣱ مِّن قَوۡمٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونُواْ خَيۡرࣰ ا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَلَا نِسَآءࣱ مِّن نِّسَآءٍ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيۡرࣰ ا مِّنۡهُنَّۖ وَلَا تَلۡمِزُوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَلَا تَنَابَزُواْ بِٱلۡأَلۡقَٰبِۖ بِئۡسَ ٱلِٱسۡمُ ٱلۡفُسُوقُ بَعۡدَ ٱلۡإِيمَٰنِۚ وَمَن لَّمۡ يَتُبۡ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ

Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another. How bad it is to be called a mischief-maker after accepting faith! Those who do not repent of this behaviour are evildoers

هَمَّازࣲ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمࣲ‏

to any backbiter, slander-monger

وَيۡلࣱ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةࣲ لُّمَزَةٍ

Woe to every fault-finding backbiter

وَلَوۡلَآ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ قُلۡتُم مَّا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَٰذَا سُبۡحَٰنَكَ هَٰذَا بُهۡتَٰنٌ عَظِيمࣱ‏

When you heard the lie, why did you not say, ‘We should not repeat this- God forbid!- It is a monstrous slander’

وَبِكُفۡرِهِمۡ وَقَوۡلِهِمۡ عَلَىٰ مَرۡيَمَ بُهۡتَٰنًا عَظِيمࣰ ا

and because they disbelieved and uttered a terrible slander against Mary

O you who believe shun much suspicion. Indeed some suspicions are sins that is to say it causes one to fall into sin. This suspicion may have many forms such as thinking ill of the good folk from among the believers — and such good folk are many — in contrast to the immoral individuals among them in whose case there is no sin so long as it the suspicion is in accordance with their outward behaviour. And do not spy tajassasū one of the two tā’ letters of tatajassasū has been omitted do not pursue the imperfections and faults of Muslims by searching them out; nor backbite one another do not speak of him by mentioning something which he is averse to having mentioned of himself even if it be true. Would any of you love to eat the flesh of his brother dead? read maytan or mayyitan. That is to say it would not be right for him to do so. You would abhor it. Thus to backbite him in life would be

O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicion is sin. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. And have Taqwa of Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful (12) The Prohibition of Unfounded Suspicion Allah the Exalted forbids His faithful servants from being suspicious, which includes having doubts and suspicions about the conduct of one's family, relatives and other people in general. Therefore, Muslims are to avoid suspicion without foundation. The Leader of the faithful 'Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "Never think ill of the word that comes out of your believing brother's mouth, as long as you can find a good excuse for it." Malik recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ فَإِ

(O ye who believe! Let not a folk deride a folk who may be better than they (are)�) [49:11]. This was revealed about Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shimas. The latter was hard of hearing and when he came to see the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, the Companions made room for him in order for him to sit next to the Prophet so that he could hear him. He came one day when people were already seated and started stepping over people, saying: �Make room! Make room!� One man said to him: �You have found a place, so sit down!� Thabit sat down but he was angry. He tried to tease the man. He said: �Who are you?� The man said: �So-and-so�. Thabit exclaimed: �What, the son of so-and-so�, and he mentioned his mother about whom they used to taunt him in the pre-Islamic period. The man lowered his head out of embarrassment. Then, Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse. (� not let women

O you who believe do not let any people that is any men among you deride yā ayyuhā’lladhīna āmanū lā yaskhar … to the end of the verse was revealed regarding the Banū Tamīm delegation when they derided the poor among the Muslims like ‘Ammār b. Yāsir and Suhayb al-Rūmī; al-sukhriya means ‘scorn’ and ‘disdain’ another people who may be better than they are in God’s sight; nor let any women from among you deride other women who may be better than they are. And do not defame one another do not cast aspersions on others and hence have aspersions cast on you that is let none among you denigrate another; nor insult one another by nicknames do not call another by a nickname which he detests such as ‘O degenerate one!’ or ‘O disbeliever!’. Evil is the name mentioned out of mockery derision and mutual reviling of immorality after faith! al-fusūqu ba‘da’l-īmāni substitutes for al-ismu ‘the name’ to

backbiting faultfinder that is to say calumniator scandal-monger spreading evil talk among people in order to sow dissension between them

So, do not obey the deniers (8)They wish that you should compromise with them, so they (too) would compromise with you (9)And do not obey every Hallaf Mahin (10)A Hammaz, going about with Namim (11)Hinderer of the good, transgressor, sinful (12)'Utul, and moreover Zanim (13)(He was so) because he had wealth and children (14)When Our Ayat are recited to him, he says: "Tales of the men of old! (15)We shall brand him on the snout (nose)(16) Prohibition of giving in to the Pressure of the Disbelievers and Their Suggestions, and that They like to meet in the Middle of the Path Allah says, 'just as We have favored you and given you the upright legislation and great (standard of) character,' فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ - وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ (So, do not obey the deniers. They wish that you should compromise with them, so they (too) would compromise with you.) Ibn 'Abbas said

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَكْثَمَ، وَالْجَارُودُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ وَاقِدٍ، عَنْ أَوْفَى بْنِ دَلْهَمٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ صَعِدَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمِنْبَرَ فَنَادَى بِصَوْتٍ رَفِيعٍ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ يَا مَعْشَرَ مَنْ قَدْ أَسْلَمَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَلَمْ يُفْضِ الإِيمَانُ إِلَى قَلْبِهِ لاَ تُؤْذُوا الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَلاَ تُعَيِّرُوهُمْ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُوا عَوْرَاتِهِمْ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ تَتَبَّعَ عَوْرَةَ أَخِيهِ الْمُسْلِمِ تَتَبَّعَ اللَّهُ عَوْرَتَهُ وَمَنْ تَتَبَّعَ اللَّهُ عَوْرَتَهُ يَفْضَحْهُ وَلَوْ فِي جَوْفِ رَحْلِهِ ‏"‏ قَالَ وَنَظَرَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يَوْمًا إِلَى الْبَيْتِ أَوْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ فَقَالَ مَا أَعْظَمَكِ وَأَعْظَمَ حُرْمَتَكِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُ أَعْظَمُ حُرْمَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْكِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ ‏.‏ وَرَوَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ السَّمَرْقَنْدِيُّ عَنْ حُسَيْنِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ نَحْوَهُ وَرُوِيَ عَنْ أَبِي بَرْزَةَ الأَسْلَمِيِّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوُ هَذَا ‏.‏

Nafi' narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said:“The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) ascended the Minbar and called out with a raised voice: ’O you who accepted Islam with his tongue, while faith has not reached his heart! Do not harm the Muslims, nor revile them, nor spy on them to expose their secrets. For indeed whoever tries to expose his Muslims brother’s secrets, Allah exposes his secrets wide open, even if he were in the depth of his house.’” He (Nafl’) said: ‘ One day Ibn ‘Umar looked at the House- or – the Ka’bah and said: ‘What is it that is more honored than you, and whose honor is more sacred than yours! And the believer’s honor is more sacred to Allah than yours.’”

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يَأْثُرُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَلاَ تَجَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَحَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَبَاغَضُوا، وَكُونُوا إِخْوَانًا ‏"‏‏.‏ وَلَا يَخْطُبُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى خِطْبَةِ أَخِيهِ حَتَّى يَنْكِحَ أَوْ يَتْرُكَ

Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Beware of suspicion (about others), as suspicion is the falsest talk, and do not spy upon each other, and do not listen to the evil talk of the people about others' affairs, and do not have enmity with one another, but be brothers. And none should ask for the hand of a girl who is already engaged to his (Muslim) brother, but one should wait till the first suitor marries her or leaves her

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ - عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْمُفْلِسُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا الْمُفْلِسُ فِينَا مَنْ لاَ دِرْهَمَ لَهُ وَلاَ مَتَاعَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّ الْمُفْلِسَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِصَلاَةٍ وَصِيَامٍ وَزَكَاةٍ وَيَأْتِي قَدْ شَتَمَ هَذَا وَقَذَفَ هَذَا وَأَكَلَ مَالَ هَذَا وَسَفَكَ دَمَ هَذَا وَضَرَبَ هَذَا فَيُعْطَى هَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ فَإِنْ فَنِيَتْ حَسَنَاتُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقْضَى مَا عَلَيْهِ أُخِذَ مِنْ خَطَايَاهُمْ فَطُرِحَتْ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ طُرِحَ فِي النَّارِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Do you know who is poor? They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The poor of my Umma would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ، وَابْنُ، حُجْرٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ بِمَا يَكْرَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قِيلَ أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ فِي أَخِي مَا أَقُولُ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:Do you know what is backbiting? They (the Companions) said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Backbiting implies your talking about your brother in a manner which he does not like. It was said to him: What is your opinion about this that if I actually find (that failing) in my brother which I made a mention of? He said: If (that failing) is actually found (in him) what you assert, you in fact backbited him, and if that is not in him it is a slander

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ يَأْثُرُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ، فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَلاَ تَجَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَحَسَّسُوا، وَلاَ تَبَاغَضُوا، وَكُونُوا إِخْوَانًا ‏"‏‏.‏ وَلَا يَخْطُبُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى خِطْبَةِ أَخِيهِ حَتَّى يَنْكِحَ أَوْ يَتْرُكَ

Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Beware of suspicion (about others), as suspicion is the falsest talk, and do not spy upon each other, and do not listen to the evil talk of the people about others' affairs, and do not have enmity with one another, but be brothers. And none should ask for the hand of a girl who is already engaged to his (Muslim) brother, but one should wait till the first suitor marries her or leaves her

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، عَنْ دَاوُدَ، عَنْ عَامِرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو جُبَيْرَةَ بْنُ الضَّحَّاكِ، قَالَ فِينَا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فِي بَنِي سَلِمَةَ ‏{‏ وَلاَ تَنَابَزُوا بِالأَلْقَابِ بِئْسَ الاِسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الإِيمَانِ ‏}‏ قَالَ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَيْسَ مِنَّا رَجُلٌ إِلاَّ وَلَهُ اسْمَانِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةٌ فَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏ يَا فُلاَنُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَيَقُولُونَ مَهْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ يَغْضَبُ مِنْ هَذَا الاِسْمِ فَأُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ ‏{‏ وَلاَ تَنَابَزُوا بِالأَلْقَابِ ‏}‏ ‏.‏

Narrated AbuJubayrah ibn ad-Dahhak: This verse was revealed about us, the Banu Salimah: "Nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness (to be used of one) after he has believed." He said: When the apostle of Allah (ﷺ) came to us, every one of us had two or three names. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began to say: O so and so! But they would say: Keep silence, Messenger of Allah! He becomes angry by this name. So this verse was revealed: "Nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames

الثاني حفظ اللسان عن الهذبان والكذب والغيبة والنميمة والفحش والجفاء والخصومة والمراء وإلزامه السكوت وشغله بذكر الله سبحانه وتلاوة القرآن فهذا صوم اللسان

وأما العاصي بفعله وعمله لا باعتقاده فلا يخلو إما أن يكون بحيث يتأذى به غيره كالظلم و الغضب وشهادة الزور و الغيبة و التضريب بين الناس و المشي بالنميمة وأمثالها

القسم الأول وهو أشدها ما يتضرر به الناس كالظلم و الغصب وشهادة الزور و الغيبة و النميمة فهؤلاء الأولى الإعراض عنهم وترك مخالطتهم و الانقباض عن معاملتهم لأن المعصية شديدة فيما يرجع إلى إيذاء الخلق

غالبا بالمخالطة ويسلم منها في الخلوة وهي أربعة الغيبة والنميمة والرياء والسكوت عن الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر ومسارقة الطبع من الأخلاق الرديئة والأعمال الخبيثة التي يوجبها الحرص على الدنيا

ونحن الآن نعد آفات اللسان ونبتديء بأخفها ونترقى إلى الأغلظ قليلا ونؤخر الكلام في الغيبة والنميمة والكذب فإن النظر فيها أطول وهي عشرون آفة فاعلم ذلك ترشد بعون الله تعالى الآفة الأولى الكلام فيما لا يعنيك

فأما النميمة والغيبة والكذب وسب الوالدين فحرام بالاتفاق لما روي أنه كان بين خالد بن الوليد وسعد كلام فذكر رجل خالدا عند سعد فقال سعد مه إن ما بيننا لم يبلغ ديننا يعني أن يأثم بعضنا في بعض فلم يسمع السوء فكيف يجوز له أن يقوله

Something to talk about: Gossip increases oxytocin levels in a near real-life situation.: Gossip is a pervasive social behavior. Its evolutionary survival seems related to its social functions, such as establishing group rules, punishing trespassers, exercising social influence through reputational systems, and developing and strengthening social bonds. We aimed at evaluating the effect of gossip on hormones (oxytocin and cortisol) and at identifying potential mediators of hormonal response to gossip. Twenty-two female students were randomly assigned to a gossip conversation or to an

MDMA enhances emotional empathy and prosocial behavior.: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') releases serotonin and norepinephrine. MDMA is reported to produce empathogenic and prosocial feelings. It is unknown whether MDMA in fact alters empathic concern and prosocial behavior. We investigated the acute effects of MDMA using the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET), dynamic Face Emotion Recognition Task (FERT) and Social Value Orientation (SVO) test. We also assessed effects of MDMA on plasma levels of hormones involved in social behavior

Cochrane review: social skills groups for people aged 6 to 21 with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).: Background: Since autism was first described, major difficulties in social interaction have been a defining feature of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Social skills groups are a common intervention for individuals with ASD. Although a frequently recommended practice, the few studies that have addressed the efficacy of social skills groups have shown mixed results. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of social skills groups for improving social competence, social communic

The 'Flow' of compassion: A meta-analysis of the fears of compassion scales and psychological functioning.: This meta-analysis examined the associations between the fears of compassion and mental health. We extracted 19 studies reporting 154 effect sizes (Pearson's r) from 22 independent samples published during the last seven years, with data from 4723 participants. All studies used the Fears of Compassion Scales (FCS), which includes three subscales; fears of compassion for self, for others, and receiving from others. Specific mental health outcomes included: depression; anxiety; distress; and well-

Alleviating Social Pain: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Forgiveness and Acetaminophen.: Background: Research has suggested that physical pain (e.g., caused by injury) and social pain (e.g., caused by social rejection) are modulated by some of the same biological systems. Consequently, it is possible that acetaminophen, which is commonly used to alleviate physical pain through neurochemical pathways, may have social pain-relieving effects that interact with forgiveness, which reduces social pain through psychological pathways. To date, however, only a few studies have examined how e

The peptide that binds: a systematic review of oxytocin and its prosocial effects in humans.: Oxytocin is a neuropeptide involved in a wide variety of social behaviors in diverse species. Recent research on its effects in humans has generated an arresting picture of its role in the dynamic function of the social brain. This review presents a broad overview of this uniquely social peptide, with a particular focus on extant studies of its effects in humans. After a short discussion of the evolutionary history of the oxytocin system, critical aspects of its peripheral and central physiology

Neuropeptides and social behaviour: effects of oxytocin and vasopressin in humans.

The fundamental ability to form attachment is indispensable for human social relationships. Impairments in social behaviour are associated with decreased quality of life and psychopathological states. In non-human mammals, the neuropeptides oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are key mediators of complex social behaviours, including attachment, social recognition and aggression. In particular, OXT reduces behavioural and neuroendocrine responses to social stress and seems both to enable animals to overcome their natural avoidance of proximity and to inhibit defensive behaviour, thereby facilitating approach behaviour. AVP has primarily been implicated in male-typical social behaviours, including aggression and pair-bond formation, and mediates anxiogenic effects. Initial studies in humans suggest behavioural, neural, and endocrine effects of both neuropeptides, similar to those…

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Forgiveness, health, and well-being: a review of evidence for emotional versus decisional forgiveness, dispositional forgivingness, and reduced unforgiveness.

The extant data linking forgiveness to health and well-being point to the role of emotional forgiveness, particularly when it becomes a pattern in dispositional forgivingness. Both are important antagonists to the negative affect of unforgiveness and agonists for positive affect. One key distinction emerging in the literature is between decisional and emotional forgiveness. Decisional forgiveness is a behavioral intention to resist an unforgiving stance and to respond differently toward a transgressor. Emotional forgiveness is the replacement of negative unforgiving emotions with positive other-oriented emotions. Emotional forgiveness involves psychophysiological changes, and it has more direct health and well-being consequences. While some benefits of forgiveness and forgivingness emerge merely because they reduce unforgiveness, some benefits appear to be more forgiveness specific. We r…

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Empathy-related responding and prosocial behaviour.

In this paper I differentiate among empathy, sympathy and personal distress and discuss the central role of empathy-related responding in positive (including moral) development. Empathy-related responding, especially sympathy, is likely an important source of prosocial, other-oriented motivation. In fact, empathy-related responding, especially sympathy, has been associated with prosocial behaviour (voluntary behaviour intended to benefit another, e.g. helping, sharing); this relation has been obtained for both specific instances of empathy-related responding and for dispositional sympathy. In addition, sympathy (or sometimes empathy) has been linked to relatively high levels of moral reasoning and social competence, and to low levels of aggression and antisocial behaviour. In my talk, I will review research on the relation of empathy-related responding to prosocial behaviour, the consist…

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Social incompetence in children with ADHD: possible moderators and mediators in social-skills training.

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often encounter problems in social interactions with peers and are confronted with peer rejection and social isolation. The most common approach to social problems in children is social skills training. This intervention concept represents a variable mixture of cognitive-behavioral intervention elements. In this article the outcome of social skills training (SST) for children with ADHD is reviewed. Four experimental SSTs are detected and analyzed for potential mediators and moderators of treatment efficacy. Candidate mediators (social cognitive skills, parenting style and medication-induced reduction of key symptoms) are discussed within an empirical and theoretical context. Candidate moderators (subtype, comorbidity, gender and age) are evaluated for their empirical support. It is argued that, although fragmented, there is am…

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The clinical significance of loneliness: a literature review.

Satisfying social relationships are vital for good mental and physical health. Accordingly, we recommend that the alleviation and prevention of social relationship deficits be a key focus of clinicians. In this review, we focus on loneliness as a crucial marker of social relationship deficits and contend that loneliness should command clinicians' attention in its own right--not just as an adjunct to the treatment of other problems such as depression. With a particular focus on the adolescent developmental period, this review is organized into five sections: Drawing on developmental and evolutionary psychology theories, the nature of social relationships and the function they serve is first discussed. In the second section, loneliness is introduced as an exemplar of social relationship deficits. Here a definition of loneliness is provided, as well as an explanation of why it may pose a si…

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How interpersonal motives clarify the meaning of interpersonal behavior: a revised circumplex model.

Circumplex models have organized interpersonal behavior along 2 orthogonal dimensions--communion (which emphasizes connection between people) and agency (which emphasizes one person's influence over the other). However, many empirical studies have disconfirmed certain predictions from these models. We therefore revised the model in 4 ways that highlight interpersonal motives. In our revision: (a) the negative pole of communion is indifference, not hostility; (b) a given behavior invites (not evokes) a desired reaction from the partner; (c) the complement of a behavior is a reaction that would satisfy the motive behind that behavior; (d) noncomplementary reactions induce negative affect. If the motive is unclear, the meaning of the behavior is ambiguous. This ambiguity helps explain failures in social support, miscommunications in everyday life, and features of most personality disorders.…

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Interpersonal rejection as a determinant of anger and aggression.

This article reviews the literature on the relationship between interpersonal rejection and aggression. Four bodies of research are summarized: laboratory experiments that manipulate rejection, rejection among adults in everyday life, rejection in childhood, and individual differences that may moderate the relationship. The theoretical mechanisms behind the effect are then explored. Possible explanations for why rejection leads to anger and aggression include: rejection as a source of pain, rejection as a source of frustration, rejection as a threat to self-esteem, mood improvement following aggression, aggression as social influence, aggression as a means of reestablishing control, retribution, disinhibition, and loss of self-control.

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Adolescent development in interpersonal and societal contexts.

In this chapter we review theoretical and empirical advances in research on adolescent development in interpersonal and societal contexts. First, we identify several trends in current research, including the current emphasis on ecological models and the focus on diversity in and relational models of adolescent development. Next, we discuss recent research on interpersonal relationships, with an eye toward identifying major research themes and findings. Research on adolescents' relationships with parents, siblings, other relatives, peers, and romantic partners, and adolescents' involvement in community and society is reviewed. Future directions in research on adolescent development are discussed.

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Sense of belonging as connectedness, American Indian worldview, and mental health.

The concept of sense of belonging as connectedness is an abstract dimension of relatedness. Gaining an understanding of this concept within a cultural worldview has the potential to positively impact the mental health of ethnic minority populations. Sense of belonging as connectedness portrays the dynamic nature of human existence. The role of sense of belonging to interpersonal relationships and the well-being of individuals, family, and community is emphasized through the worldview of the American Indian population. It is a dynamic phenomenon of social significance.

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Effects of inflammation on social processes and implications for health.

Although at first glance inflammation and social behavior may appear unrelated, research points to an important role for inflammation in shaping social processes. This review summarizes findings in this field, specifically highlighting work that provides support for the idea that inflammation can lead to (1) increases in sensitivity to negative, threatening social experiences and (2) increases in sensitivity to positive, socially rewarding experiences. These diverging sensitivities in response to inflammation may depend on context and be adaptive for recuperation and recovery from illness. This review also discusses the implications of these findings for health and future research, including implications for depression, loneliness, and inflammatory disorders.

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When is gossiping wrong? The influence of valence and relationships on children's moral evaluations of gossip.

Gossip is a common social activity that children admit to engaging in. Although children disapprove of negative gossip (Kuttler, Parker, & La Greca, 2002, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 48, 105), less is known about how it is perceived morally compared to positive gossip and how this changes developmentally as children enter adolescence. Interestingly, misbehaviours are evaluated differently depending on who commits the act and whom it targets (Slomkowski & Killen, 1992, International Journal of Behavioral Development, 15, 247), but this has not been examined in the context of gossip. This study examined children's moral evaluations of negative and positive valence gossip and how this changed depending on the listener's relationship to the sharer and target. Children (N = 134, ages 8-16) completed vignettes, evaluating the sharer's action from the listener's perspective, a 2 (valence: negativ…

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What is the social impact of ADHD in girls? A multi-method assessment.

This study explores the social impact of ADHD, with and without opposition-defiant behaviour (ADHD+ODD (n= 22) and ADHD-only (n= 18)), in 9- to 12- year old girls compared to girls without ADHD (n= 40). Girls played a computer game involving simulated players, and mothers and teachers completed rating scales. In general, mothers and teachers saw girls with ADHD+ODD as more overtly and relationally aggressive and less prosocial than girls with ADHD-only, who were seen as more overtly and relationally aggressive and less prosocial than control girls. On the computer game, girls with ADHD+ODD were more overtly aggressive, more directly relationally aggressive, and showed less skilled behaviour than the other groups. Girls with ADHD-only showed less covert, indirect relational aggression and more socially awkward interactions than girls in the control group on the computer game. In all, the …

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Cognitive systems for revenge and forgiveness.

Minimizing the costs that others impose upon oneself and upon those in whom one has a fitness stake, such as kin and allies, is a key adaptive problem for many organisms. Our ancestors regularly faced such adaptive problems (including homicide, bodily harm, theft, mate poaching, cuckoldry, reputational damage, sexual aggression, and the infliction of these costs on one’s offspring, mates, coalition partners, or friends). One solution to this problem is to impose retaliatory costs on an aggressor so that the aggressor and other observers will lower their estimates of the net benefits to be gained from exploiting the retaliator in the future. We posit that humans have an evolved cognitive system that implements this strategy – deterrence – which we conceptualize as a revenge system. The revenge system produces a second adaptive problem: losing downstream gains from the individual on whom r…

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Cool and hot executive function as predictors of aggression in early childhood: Differentiating between the function and form of aggression.

Executive function (EF) has been implicated in childhood aggression. Understanding of the role of EF in aggression has been hindered, however, by the lack of research taking into account the function and form of aggression and the almost exclusive focus on cool EF. This study examined the role of cool and hot EF in teacher reported aggression, differentiating between reactive and proactive as well as physical and relational aggression. Children (N = 106) completed laboratory tasks measuring cool (inhibition, planning, working memory) and hot EF (affective decision-making, delay of gratification). Cool, but not hot, EF significantly contributed to understanding of childhood aggression. Inhibition was a central predictor of childhood aggression. Planning and working memory, in contrast, were significant independent predictors of proactive relational aggression only. Added to this, prosocia…

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Low self-control promotes the willingness to sacrifice in close relationships.

Although previous theories and research have suggested that human behavior is automatically driven by selfish impulses (e.g., vengeance rather than forgiveness), the present research tested the hypothesis that in close relationships, people's impulsive inclination is to be prosocial and to sacrifice for their partner-to pursue the interests of the partner or of the relationship at some costs for the self. Results from four studies demonstrated that people with low self-control, relative to those with high self-control, reported greater willingness to sacrifice for their close others. Furthermore, Study 4 demonstrated that communal orientation was more strongly associated with sacrifice among participants with low self-control than participants with high self-control. This moderational pattern supports the hypothesis that communal orientation functions as a default approach to sacrifice i…

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Relational aggression in marriage.

Drawing from developmental theories of relational aggression, this article reports on a study designed to identify if spouses use relationally aggressive tactics when dealing with conflict in their marriage and the association of these behaviors with marital outcomes. Using a sample of 336 married couples (672 spouses), results revealed that the majority of couples reported that relationally aggressive behaviors, such as social sabotage and love withdrawal, were a part of their marital dynamics, at least to some degree. Gender comparisons of partner reports of their spouse's behavior revealed that wives were significantly more likely to be relationally aggressive than husbands. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that relational aggression is associated with lower levels of marital quality and greater marital instability for both husbands and wives. Implications are drawn for the u…

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Being treated differently: stigma experiences with family, peers, and school staff among adolescents with mental health disorders.

Stigma directed at adolescents diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders by individuals in their interpersonal network likely undermines their wellbeing, yet little is known about their subjective stigma experiences. In particular, the prospect of diagnosed youth experiencing prejudice and discrimination by family members has not previously been examined. This study examines adolescents' perceptions of being treated 'differently' because of mental health problems by family members, peers, and school staff. Qualitative analysis of narratives from mixed method interviews with 56 adolescents in a mid-western US city demonstrated variation in the perceived extent and nature of stigma and in contextual factors perceived as promoting or protecting from stigmatization, depending on the interpersonal domain. The greatest number of participants experienced stigmatization in relationships …

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From inspiration to restoration: Moral elevation as a catalyst for improving intergroup relations in contexts of conflict.

Existing research examining the creation of positive and prosocial interpersonal relations has established moral elevation as an approach-oriented emotion to be associated with a range of positive and prosocial outcomes. In this article and with the goal to identify emotional mechanism for improving intergroup relations in contexts of conflict, we examined the effects of moral elevation on enhancing intergroup relations. Across four experimental studies (Ns = 1,131), conducted in four understudied countries directly affected or threatened by intergroup conflict, we demonstrated that induced moral elevation elicits important cognitive and emotional shifts toward adversarial groups, resulting in improved intergroup relations. Specifically, we show that inducing moral elevation through stories of outgroup moral exemplars (individuals who have risked their life to save the life of an outgrou…

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Social connectedness mediates the effect of awe in reducing dishonest behavior.

Dishonest behavior is immoral and can cause harm to relationships and social development. To investigate whether awe can mitigate dishonest behavior from the perspective of self-transcendent emotion, we conducted three studies. In Study 1, 347 college students completed the dispositional awe scale and questions related to dishonest tendencies. The results showed that dispositional awe was negatively related to dishonest tendencies. In Study 2, an experimental approach was taken with 157 participants randomly assigned to awe, amusement, and neutral conditions. The analysis revealed that participants in the awe group exhibited lower levels of dishonest behavior compared to those in the amusement and neutral groups. In Study 3, we further examined the mechanisms underlying this relationship with 210 participants. The results demonstrated that social connectedness, but not the universe conne…

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The two-way relationship of interpersonal curiosity and daily envy.

Objective: Envy and interpersonal curiosity are common emotional and psychological phenomena in relationships that collectively influence our social behavior and experiences. However, there is a research gap regarding the interaction between interpersonal curiosity and envy. Therefore, this study will primarily utilize daily diary methods to investigate the relationship between interpersonal curiosity and envy. Method: Using the Benign and Malicious Envy Scale and the Chinese Adolescents' Interpersonal Curiosity Questionnaire, Study 1 conducted a preliminary study on 392 middle school students using cross-sectional data. Based on the data from Study 1, we selected the ten items (2 items per variable) with the highest factor load for the daily measurement of Study 2. Study 2 utilized the diary method and recruited 81 adolescents as participants for a 14-day measurement period. Results: Th…

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Interpersonal distance modulates the influence of social observation on prosocial behaviour: An event-related potential (ERP) study.

This study aimed to explore the influence of interpersonal distance and social observation on prosocial behaviour. Participants were instructed to make costly prosocial decisions towards different interpersonal distance targets (friends, acquaintances or strangers) under the (non) observable condition, with simultaneous electroencephalogram recording. The behavioural results demonstrated that participants made more prosocial choices-unaffected by social observation-towards friends than towards acquaintances and strangers; nonetheless, participants made more prosocial choices towards acquaintances and strangers under the observable than under the non-observable condition. Event-related potential results showed that when participants made prosocial decisions towards friends, the P3 and N2 amplitudes remained unchanged between the observable and non-observable conditions; however, when part…

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Association of social relationships with incident cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.

Objective: To examine how different aspects of social relationships are associated with incident cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Methods: In 4139 participants from the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study without previous cardiovascular disease (mean (SD) age 59.1 (7.7) years, 46.7% men), the association of self-reported instrumental, emotional and financial support and social integration at baseline with incident fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality during 13.4-year follow-up was assessed in five different multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models: minimally adjusted model (adjusting for age, sex, social integration or social support, respectively); biological model (minimally adjusted+systolic blood pressure, low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycated haemoglobin, body mass index, antihypertensive med…

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Moral disengagement and bullying perpetration: A longitudinal study of the moderating effect of school climate.

Although multiple cross-sectional studies have supported moral disengagement and school climate being associated with bullying perpetration, few have examined how these 3 factors interact with each other over time. Guided by the social-ecological theory and social-cognitive theory, a multilevel approach was used to examine the longitudinal associations between students' moral disengagement and bullying perpetration and the moderating effect of students' perceptions of school climate in the longitudinal association across 18 months. The main effects of moral disengagement and perceived school climate and the effects of their interaction on bullying perpetration were explored at the between-person, within-person, and across between-person and within-person levels. Participants were 2,997 adolescents (Mage = 14.9 years, SD = 1.53; 49.7% male) from 6 secondary schools in Southwest China. At …

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Imagine how to behave: the influence of imagined contact on human-robot interaction.

Imagined contact (IC), that is, mentally simulating an interaction with an outgroup member, reduces negative attitudes towards outgroup members, increases contact intentions, and reduces intergroup anxiety in human-human intergroup context. Our experiment tested the effectiveness of IC with a robot to improve human-robot interaction (HRI). Social psychological literature suggested that IC provides a behavioural script for an interaction. Hence, an imagined scenario similar to a real contact scenario should be more effective in eliciting the aforementioned positive effects. We therefore examined the effect of similarity between IC with a robot and the following actual HRI on interaction perception, and behaviours towards the robot. High similarity was expected to lead to a more positive perception of HRI and more positive interaction behaviour towards the robot (e.g. more social behaviour…

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Neighborhood social cohesion is associated with lower levels of interleukin-6 in African American women.

Introduction: Social cohesion is a positive neighborhood characteristic defined by feelings of connectedness and solidarity within a community. Studies have found significant associations between social cohesion and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and outcomes. Inflammation is one potential physiological pathway linking social cohesion to CVD development, but few studies have evaluated the relationship between social cohesion and inflammatory biomarkers. Prior research has also established that race and gender can modify the effects of neighborhood features, including social cohesion, on CVD risk factors and outcomes. This study aimed to examine the association between social cohesion and the inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in a cohort of African American and White women and men. Materials and methods: Data from the Morehouse and Emory …

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