Revenge Versus Forgiveness/Forbearance in Response to Narrative-Simulated Victimization

The authors engaged men and women (N = 120) who read one of two ver­sions of a dramatic narrative in which the narrator became HIV-positive following het­erosexual intercourse with an AIDS-infected partner. Assuming the role of the narrator, the participants completed two situation-instigated criterion measures as a response to becoming HIV-infected, indicated whom they blamed for their predicament, and com­pleted two "trait" predictor measures-negative affect and response to perceived victim­ization in everyday life. Trait victimization response and blaming the sexual partner were strongly associated with high rather than low negative affect. Reasons for the reluctance to blame the sexual partner and seek revenge were discussed, and recommendations were made to develop less problematic simulated victimization narratives.