Psychological perspectives on divine forgiveness: 4. Childhood unpredictability negatively and divine forgiveness positively predicts self-forgiveness through self-control

Abstract

ABSTRACT In order to understand both developmental and proximal contributors to self-forgiveness, we examined the simultaneous effects of childhood adversity (i.e. unpredictability and harshness) and current experiences of divine forgiveness on self-forgiveness in young adulthood across two studies. As expected, childhood unpredictability was negatively, and divine forgiveness was positively associated with self-forgiveness in both Study 1 (N = 439) and Study 2 (N = 441). Childhood harshness was not associated with self-forgiveness. In Study 2, we found that self-control mediates the relationships between childhood unpredictability and self-forgiveness and between divine forgiveness and self-forgiveness. Results suggest that childhood unpredictability undermines, whereas divine forgiveness bolsters self-forgiveness by weakening and shoring up regulatory resources, respectively. Limitations and future directions are discussed.