The Effects of a Laughter Manipulation on Rumination Regarding an Interpersonal Transgression in Close Relationships

Given the likelihood that most people will experience a transgression in the context of a close relationship at some point in their lives, forgiveness is a construct with great potential for influencing individuals’ quality of life. This study examined a possible manipulation for decreasing rumination regarding an interpersonal transgression, thereby ideally increasing levels of forgiveness towards the transgressor. Participants wrote a paragraph detailing an interpersonal transgression they experienced in a close relationship, and then watched a humorous video, a non-humorous video, or waited for a period of time (time-elapse condition) before completing measures assessing rumination and forgiveness. There was no difference in rumination or forgiveness across conditions. However, individuals with high trait forgiveness did report significantly less rumination in both video conditions. Although the main hypotheses were not supported, it does appear that watching something that is enjoyable may have the capacity to distract some people from ruminative thought.