A Forgiveness Intervention for Taiwanese Young Adults with Insecure Attachment

Abstract

In this study we tested the effectiveness of a forgiveness intervention for young adults with insecure attachment to their mothers. Twenty-seven students from four universities in Taiwan were recruited and assigned to either a forgiveness intervention or an alternative treatment control group. Dependent measures were administered at pretest, posttest, and 8-week follow-up. Within-group analyses demonstrated the participants in the forgiveness intervention showed greater improvement on measures of attachment security, forgiveness, trait anxiety, hope, and self-esteem than the participants in the alternative treatment group. Effect sizes were in the medium to large range. Implications for research and practice with families are discussed.