Interpersonal Forgiveness Research Articles

Forgiveness and Personality Type among Men and Women Suffering from Cardiovascular Diseases

Background: Role of personality and some components of behaviors, traits and emotions as effective factors on coronary heart diseases (CHD) were presented nearly 50 years ago with the concept of “type A” behavior, a compound of hostility, impatience, competitiveness and dominance. Later studies showed crucial role of other traits and behaviors like anger, introversion, depression and forgiveness. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare personality type and forgiveness in the patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases based on gender. Materials and method: The cross sectional study was designed and sample was collected from men and women referred to cardiologists (within the age range of 23-75 years old) from the patients of Shahid Rajaee Heart Hospital of Tehran, Iran from December 2010 to March 2011. Total 87 subjects were selected using random method. The study subjects were given two questionnaires: personality type A (with two factors: TA1, pathologic behaviors of type A personality and TA2, non pathologic behaviors of type A personality) and Interpersonal Forgiveness Inventory (IFI), with three subscales namely reestablishment of relationship, control of revenge and realistic perception. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Mean(±SD) age of men was 50.5±11.6 years (n=33) and 55.7±14.4 years in women (n=54). Mean duration of suffering from cardiovascular diseases in men was 7.8 years and in women was 9.10 years. The study found high mean scores of type A pathologic but not non pathologic type A among women compared to men (p<0.038) and no statistically significant differences in forgiveness subscales. Conclusion: The study revealed significant difference between women and men suffering from cardiovascular disease in pathologic type A (TA1) and negative relationship between pathologic type A and forgiveness. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dmcj.v2i2.20523 Delta Med Col J. Jul 2014; 2(2): 48-52

Utilizing Forgiveness Therapy to Heal the Negative Sequelae of Polygamous Family Structure Among Bedouin-Arabs: A Case Study of Treatment When the Injuring Party is Absent

This article highlights the use of forgiveness therapy to treat the negative developmental and behavioral sequelae of growing up within a polygamous family. Theoretical perspectives on polygamous family structure within Bedouin-Arab society, as well as an introduction to forgiveness and forgiveness therapy, are presented. A case study of the application of forgiveness therapy with an Israeli Bedouin-Arab points to the relevance of this therapeutic approach for individuals wounded by childhood experiences associated with polygamous family structure. Walton’s forgiveness therapy model, which facilitates an interpersonal forgiveness process without the participation of the injuring party, is utilized. The contraindications and limitations of forgiveness therapy, and the implications of this therapeutic modality for practitioners, as well as additional research directions are outlined.

Positive psychological characteristics and interpersonal forgiveness: Identifying the unique contribution of emotional intelligence abilities, Big Five traits, gratitude and optimism

Theory and research have underlined the key role that specific positive psychological characteristics play in the process of forgiving others. However, no studies have examined the joint contribution of the four specific psychological characteristics of emotional intelligence abilities, Big Five, gratitude and optimism in interpersonal forgiveness. This study of 535 undergraduate students assessed whether these four positive psychological characteristics would each contribute uniquely and differentially to the prediction of the two components of transgression-related interpersonal motivations when considered simultaneously in the analyses. Partial support was found for the role of personality traits and emotional intelligence abilities as predictors. Regression analyses indicated that the motivation to revenge, but not the motivation to avoid, was predicted by neuroticism, agreeableness, openness and managing emotions scores, beyond the level attributable to socio-demographic variables and other well-known dimensions. These findings expand on previous studies into the antecedents of forgiveness and increase this body of knowledge by demonstrating that specific psychological characteristics, in particular, Big Five traits and managing emotions, may contribute to individual variation in some transgression-related interpersonal motivations.

It Takes Two to Forgive

Previous research demonstrated that perceived relationship value is a strong predictor of forgiveness. Here we suggest that relationship value may not be sufficient. Given that executive control is an important facilitator of forgiveness, we predicted that relationship value and executive control should interact toward promoting forgiveness. Using different indicators of executive control, including adults and children samples, measured or experimentally varied relationship value, and both self-report and behavioral forgiveness measures, across four studies we found support for our main prediction: Relationship value was positively associated with forgiveness; however, this association was mostly pronounced among individuals high (vs. low) in executive control. In addition, executive control was positively associated with forgiveness, but particularly in relationships of high (vs. low) relationship value. These findings suggest that relationship value and executive control in combination are associated with higher interpersonal forgiveness. Implications for the extant literature on forgiveness, and interpersonal relationships more broadly, are discussed.

Overlooking interpersonal hurt: A global processing style influences forgiveness in work relationships

Interpersonal offences occur routinely in the workplace and are often not forgiven. Unforgiveness has negative consequences, including reduced mental and physical well-being. Therefore, it is necessary to increase our understanding on how interpersonal forgiveness is achieved. We propose that forgiveness can be influenced by generalized modes of information processing (broad vs. narrow processing), temporarily activated by earlier tasks. A prior task activating a broad (vs. narrow) focus of attention would facilitate willingness to forgive. Supporting this, in three experiments, a broad mental perspective evoked in a prior unrelated task increased willingness to forgive offences by colleagues. This occurs by making the offense appear less severe. We discuss implications for theorizing on interpersonal forgiveness and for organizations.

Ethical Aspects of Self-Forgiveness

AbstractIn this paper, I discuss some central ethical aspects of self-forgiveness. A first comparison is made between interpersonal forgiveness and self-forgiveness. It would seem that self-forgiveness follows much of the same structure as interpersonal forgiveness, although with some exceptions. One noticeable difference is that with self-forgiveness, the forgiver and forgiven is one and the same person. The main ethical question discussed is when self-forgiveness is morally permissible. I argue that self-forgiveness is only morally permissible when the wrongdoer acknowledges wrongdoing and display genuine repentance. He must also, insofar as possible, ask the victim for forgiveness before contemplating self-forgiveness.

Transgressors’ guilt and shame

The current study examines forgiveness from the perspective of the transgressor, an often overlooked aspect of interpersonal forgiveness and a model of forgiveness seeking is proposed. Using a 2-wave longitudinal design, 166 participants completed measures of the characteristics of their transgressions, their feelings of guilt and shame, and their forgiveness-seeking behaviors. Cross-lagged correlational analysis indicated that guilt at time 1 was related to forgiveness seeking at time 2, but the opposite was not true. Path analyses revealed that guilt mediated the impact of transgression and relationship factors (i.e., transgression severity, responsibility, rumination, and relationship commitment) on forgiveness-seeking behavior over time. Shame, however, did not demonstrate any unique relationship with forgiveness-seeking behaviors. These findings suggest that guilt serves as a primary motivator for forgiveness seeking, indicating that it is a particularly important element to consider when working with transgressors. Overall, this study provides a conceptual model of the antecedents of forgiveness-seeking behaviors by transgressors, similar to those available for the antecedents of forgiveness seeking by victims.

Positive predispositions, quality of life and chronic illness

This study assessed the extent to which being predisposed towards engaging in acts of gratitude and forgiveness is associated with enhanced quality of life (QoL), and whether these associations are mediated by positive and negative affective states. The study sample comprised 327 people with one of three chronic illnesses (arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes). Participants completed self-report measures of two positive predispositions (the tendencies towards gratitude and forgiveness), two affective states (positive and negative) and three indices of QoL (physical, psychological and satisfaction with life). As hypothesised, gratitude, and to a lesser extent forgiveness, predicted enhanced QoL, with most effects mediated via increased positive affect. Findings support the view that predispositions towards interpersonal gratitude, and possibly interpersonal forgiveness, may bolster the QoL of people living with chronic physical illness. Consistent with contemporary theories of positive emotion, gratitude appears to have its effects via enhancing positive affect. The study adds to the emerging evidence that a predisposition towards gratitude benefits QoL and extends past findings by identifying a mechanism that is important in people with chronic illnesses.

Is It Possible and Sometimes Desirable for States to Forgive?

AbstractAfter discussing at some length the nature of interpersonal forgiveness and its relation to punishment, the author addresses the main question of the essay: are states the sorts of entities that can forgive; and if they are, is it sometimes desirable that they forgive? The author argues that states can forgive and very often do; and that sometimes it is desirable that they do so. The essay closes by considering the complexities that arise when the state wants to forgive but the victim does not, and conversely.

Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Practice of the Church

Interpersonal Forgiveness: The Practice of the Church

How Does Religion Promote Forgiveness? Linking Beliefs, Orientations, and Practices

Scholars have long observed that religion and forgiveness are generally positively linked, but it is unclear why this is the case. This article proposes and tests potential mechanisms by which religion promotes forgiveness. Using data from the 1998 General Social Survey, I find that holding a collaborative orientation toward God, subscribing to a pervasive role of religion, and believing God forgives are primary factors promoting one's propensity to forgive both oneself and others. These factors have varying influence on interpersonal forgiveness compared to self‐forgiveness and further illuminate the differences between the two processes. My findings demonstrate the importance of analyzing a person's religious beliefs and orientations directly, in addition to examining other dimensions of religion, such as affiliation, frequency of religious activity, and official religious teachings.

The relation between implicit theories of personality and forgiveness

AbstractThis research examined the effect of implicit theories of personality on interpersonal forgiveness and the mediating mechanism underlying this effect. Two experiments show that incremental personality theorists are less forgiving than entity personality theorists and that this difference can be explained by the incremental theorists’ stronger tendency to appraise the transgressor as responsible for causing the hurtful event. The same findings were obtained regardless of whether forgiveness was measured by self‐report or assessed as responses to anger words in a latency response task.

Justice Sensitivity and Forgiveness in Close Interpersonal Relationships: The Mediating Role of Mistrustful, Legitimizing, and Pro‐Relationship Cognitions

The purpose of the present investigation was to explore and better understand the relationship between justice sensitivity from a victim's perspective (JS-victim) and interpersonal forgiveness. In particular, we aimed to identify the cognitive mechanisms mediating this relationship and test the moderating influence of post-transgression perpetrator behavior. We used data from a questionnaire study employing a Swiss community sample (N = 450) and 2 scenario-based studies employing German online samples, in the context of romantic (N = 242) and friendship relationships (N = 974). We consistently found JS-victim to be negatively related to dispositional (Study 1) and situational forgiveness (Studies 2 and 3). Study 2 demonstrated the relationship between JS-victim and reduced forgiveness to be partly mediated by mistrustful interpretations of the partner's post-transgression behavior. In Study 3, cognitions legitimizing one's own antisocial reactions and a lack of pro-relationship cognitions were identified as further mediators. These variables mediated the negative effect of JS-victim on forgiveness largely independent of whether the friend perpetrator displayed reconciliatory behavior or not. Findings suggest that the cognitive mechanisms mediating victim-sensitive individuals' unforgiveness could barely be neutralized. Future research should investigate their malleability in light of qualitatively different perpetrator behaviors as well as their broader relational implications.

Interpersonal forgiveness in emotion-focused couples' therapy: relating process to outcome.

The objective of this study was to relate the in-session processes involved in interpersonal forgiveness to outcome. The sample consisted of 33 couples who received 10-12 sessions of Emotion-focused couple therapy with the aim of resolving various forms of emotional injuries (i.e., transgression that violates the expectations of a close relationship, which leaves one partner feeling hurt and angry). The results of the present study were based on the analyses of 205 video-taped segments from 33 couples' therapies. Hypotheses relating the role of three in-session components of resolution, the injurer's "expression of shame"; the injured partner's "accepting response" to the shame, and the injured partner's "in-session expression of forgiveness", to outcome were tested using hierarchical linear regression analyses. Outcome measures included the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (The Enright Forgiveness Inventory user's manual. Madison: The International Forgiveness Institute, 2000), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Journal of Marriage and Family, 1976; 13: 723) and the The Interpersonal Trust Scale (Trust; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1985; 49: 95).

How Religion Promotes Forgiveness: The Case of Turkish Muslims

Due to developments in positive psychology, the theme of forgiveness has increasingly been observed in psychological studies in recent years. Forgiveness has now become one of positive psychology's favourite topics. It is conceived as an element of religiosity and hence studies focus on the relation between forgiveness and religiosity. This study is carried out to determine the relation between the propensity to forgive and socio-demographic variables (gender and age) and religiosity in the case of the Turkish-Muslim sample. Furthermore, this article aims to describe the relation between forgiveness, humility and pride. In order to investigate these relations, the Interpersonal Forgiveness Scale and Brief Islamic Religiosity Measure have been developed and applied to a sample of 321 people from different parts of Istanbul, Turkey. The findings show that religiosity is positively related to the propensity to forgive and negatively related to feelings of revenge. Furthermore, forgiveness is correlated positively with humility and negatively with pride.

Forgiveness in the United States and China

To better understand how culture influences the interpersonal forgiveness process, this study examined forgiveness communication in United States and Chinese relationships. Four key forgiveness antecedents—social harmony, empathy, apology, and blame—were examined as predictors of forgiveness communication. Social harmony, counter to predictions, positively predicted direct, rather than indirect, forgiveness in Chinese relationships. Empathy, expected to be a robust predictor of forgiveness communication across cultures, was not a good predictor in either. Instead, the best predictors of forgiveness communication were offender apology and, to a lesser extent, blame. In both cultures, apology positively predicted direct and conditional forgiveness and negatively predicted nonexpression, while blame positively predicted conditional forgiveness. In both cultures, moreover, direct forgiveness negatively, and nonexpression positively, predicted relational damage. These results suggest direct forgiveness is an important component of relational repair in individualistic and collectivistic contexts. Conditional forgiveness, though unrelated to relational damage, positively predicted ongoing negative affect in Chinese and United States relationships.

Teaching about/for ambivalent forgiveness in troubled societies

In this article, the author argues that it would be valuable to look into less paradigmatic manifestations of forgiveness in schools, that is, pedagogical approaches that acknowledge the complexity of forgiveness in socio-political contexts – namely, how forgiveness might be ambivalent, intermingled with both positive and negative emotions, and concerned with the standpoints of both the victim who offers forgiveness and the perpetrator who seeks forgiveness. The meaning and value of ambivalent forgiveness is presented through an extended reflection on a vignette from the author's ethnographic research on forgiveness in a troubled society – his home country, Cyprus. The vignette will highlight the complexity of forgiveness and provide a specific instance where traditional models of interpersonal forgiveness may fail or, at the very least, need to be expanded to account for the socio-political or inter-group dynamics. This article ends with a discussion of the pedagogical implications of the notion of ambivalent forgiveness for troubled societies.

Socioeconomical and sociopolitical correlates of interpersonal forgiveness: A three‐level meta‐analysis of the Enright Forgiveness Inventory across 13 societies

We report a meta-analysis on the country-level correlates of the Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI), to address (1) whether there are differences in forgiveness between societies, (2) what society-level context variables can account for these differences, and (3) whether conceptual relationships of forgiveness found at the individual level can be replicated at the societal level. We found sizeable differences between societies that are associated with democracy, peacefulness, socioeconomic development, and postmaterialism indices of a society. Replicating individual-level results, subjective wellbeing was positively related to forgiveness. We discuss the importance of macro-level contextual variables for understanding levels of forgiveness.

Interpersonal and Social Reconciliation: Finding Congruence in African Theological Anthropology

ABSTRACTWestern scholars studying post-conflict truth and reconciliation commissions often presuppose a sharp divide between interpersonal and social forgiveness and reconciliation. This leads some to question and critique commissions that seek to promote forgiveness and reconciliation at both the interpersonal and the social levels. This project contends that the problem these scholars perceive may be based upon a dichotomy between the individual and the community that is absent in communitarian cultures. African theological anthropologies based on the notions of palaver and ubuntu illustrate that the human person is profoundly formed and preserved by the community, which sustains the individual through the promotion of certain ethical standards. In this context, expressions of interpersonal forgiveness and reconciliation have social ramifications. Cross-cultural discussion with African theologians thus re-situates this debate. African theological anthropology demonstrates the congruence among interpersonal and social expressions of forgiveness and reconciliation based in the community's commitment to the common good.

The antecedents and consequences of interpersonal forgiveness: A meta‐analytic review

This article examines the antecedents and outcomes of forgiveness. The interpersonal forgiveness literature is qualitatively reviewed. Antecedents to forgiveness are classified by their proximity to forgiveness based on M. E. McCullough and colleagues, (1998) framework. From most distal to most proximal these antecedents are personality, relationship factors, offense‐specific factors, and social‐cognitive factors including empathy. The association of these antecedents and several consequences of forgiveness are quantitatively examined in meta‐analyses. All investigated variables were significantly related to forgiveness. Empathy was a stronger correlate of forgiveness than any other non‐social‐cognitive antecedent except for trait agreeableness. Methodological factors and the average age of subjects moderated the relationship between forgiveness and some of its correlates. Implications and future directions are considered.