In a groundbreaking study published in BMC Psychology in 2025, researchers Li, Mao, Zhang, and colleagues have unveiled novel insights into the intricate psychological interplay between relative deprivation and forgiveness among Chinese college students. This study employs a sophisticated moderated mediation model, elucidating how ego depletion and psychological capital serve as key mechanisms influencing this relationship. The findings not only deepen our understanding of social and emotional dynamics in young adults but also open promising avenues for psychological intervention.
Relative deprivation, a psychological phenomenon where individuals perceive themselves as worse off compared to others, has long been associated with negative emotional states and interpersonal conflict. While previous research has documented its impact on emotions such as resentment and anger, this study uniquely investigates how feelings of deprivation affect the capacity for forgiveness. Forgiveness, a crucial component of emotional well-being and relational harmony, is complexly influenced by cognitive and affective processes that are vulnerable to depletion and reinforcement.
The study’s central hypothesis posits that relative deprivation exerts a detrimental effect on forgiveness, mediated by ego depletion—a state characterized by diminished self-control resources. In essence, individuals experiencing relative deprivation expend considerable psychological energy managing negative emotions, leading to a decreased ability to engage in forgiving behaviors. This mediation model, however, is not static; it is moderated by psychological capital, a composite construct comprising self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience.
Psychological capital emerges as a protective resource that can buffer the deleterious effects of ego depletion. Students with higher psychological capital maintain a reservoir of positive psychological resources, enabling them to better regulate emotions and restore cognitive control, thereby facilitating forgiveness even under conditions of perceived deprivation. This moderated mediation framework enhances theoretical understanding by integrating motivational and resource-based perspectives on emotional regulation.
Methodologically, the research team conducted a comprehensive survey among a representative sample of Chinese college students. Participants completed validated scales measuring levels of relative deprivation, ego depletion, psychological capital, and forgiveness tendencies. Statistical analyses employed advanced techniques such as structural equation modeling to parse the direct and indirect relationships within the proposed model, ensuring robustness and nuanced interpretation of findings.
Intriguingly, the results confirmed the hypothesized pathways: relative deprivation significantly predicted increased ego depletion, which in turn led to reduced forgiveness. Importantly, psychological capital significantly moderated the path from ego depletion to forgiveness, mitigating the reduction in forgiving behavior for students high in psychological capital. This nuanced finding underscores the dynamic interplay between vulnerability and resilience in psychological processes.
These insights carry profound implications for mental health practitioners, educators, and policy makers. Interventions aimed at enhancing psychological capital could serve as a vital strategy to promote forgiveness and interpersonal reconciliation among youth facing socio-economic disparities and perceived injustices. Cognitive-behavioral techniques, strengths-based coaching, and resilience training emerge as promising approaches to bolster psychological capital.
This study also prompts critical reflections on sociocultural contexts influencing relative deprivation in China’s rapidly evolving social landscape. As economic inequalities and competitive pressures continue to shape student experiences, understanding psychological responses such as forgiveness becomes imperative for fostering social cohesion and mental well-being. The integration of contemporary theories in social comparison and positive psychology offers a comprehensive lens to approach these challenges.
Moreover, the identification of ego depletion as a key mediating mechanism aligns with broader research emphasizing the finite nature of self-regulatory resources. The findings implicate that interventions to replenish or conserve these resources, such as mindfulness, stress reduction, and restorative activities, might indirectly enhance forgiveness by preserving executive function and emotional regulation capacity.
Future research directions could expand on this framework by exploring longitudinal dynamics and potential cultural moderators that influence these processes. Incorporating neuropsychological measures of cognitive control and emotional processing may also provide deeper biological insights into the mechanisms involved. Furthermore, experimental designs testing intervention efficacy could translate theoretical findings into practical applications.
This research enriches the dialogue on forgiveness, a seminal construct intricately linked with personal and social health. By disentangling the resource-dependent pathways connecting relative deprivation and forgiveness, the study invites a reimagining of how psychological resilience can be cultivated to overcome adversity and nurture empathy within educational environments.
In sum, the innovative moderated mediation model proposed by Li and colleagues offers a compelling conceptual and empirical contribution to understanding human forgiveness in the context of perceived social inequities. It highlights the critical interplay between motivational depletion and positive psychological capital as determinants of emotional coping and reconciliation among young people confronted with feelings of relative deprivation.
As psychological science continues to disentangle the complex interrelationships shaping social and emotional functioning, studies such as this one illuminate practical routes to fostering psychological health and social harmony amid societal challenges. The fusion of robust methodology and theoretical sophistication exemplifies the transformative potential of contemporary psychological research in addressing pressing human concerns.
Subject of Research: Psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between relative deprivation and forgiveness among Chinese college students
Article Title: Relative deprivation and forgiveness among Chinese college students: a moderated mediation model of ego depletion and psychological capital
Article References:
Li, F., Mao, H., Zhang, S. et al. Relative deprivation and forgiveness among Chinese college students: a moderated mediation model of ego depletion and psychological capital.
BMC Psychol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03806-6
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