The effect of forgiveness psychoeducation on forgiveness and life satisfaction in high school students

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to obtain preliminary evidence of whether a forgiveness psychoeducation programme increases the level of forgiveness and life satisfaction. The independent variable of this study is the forgiveness psychoeducation, and the dependent variables are forgiveness and life satisfaction. This research was carried out using pretest–post‐test control group design. Data were collected with the Heartland Forgiveness Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The sample of the study consists of 22 students aged 16–17, 11 (8 girls and 3 boys) in the experimental group and 11 (7 girls and 4 boys) in the control group. The effect of the experimental procedure applied in the study on the level of forgiveness and life satisfaction was tested with a two‐factor mixed ANOVA for mixed measurements. The main effects of the group and measurement factors and the common effect of the group X measurement were determined with this method. The research results showed that the forgiveness psychoeducation programme increases the level of forgiveness and life satisfaction in high school students, and this increase did not change in the trial test. Furthermore, at the end of the psychoeducation programme, the students shared that they experienced more positive emotions while evaluating their achievements regarding the process, that they could express the people and experiences they had difficulty in forgiving in the group and that the group guided them to forgive this person and their experiences.