Forgivingness, Vengeful Rumination, and Affective Traits

Abstract

Trait forgivingness is the disposition to forgive interpersonal transgressions over time and across situations. We define forgiveness as the replacement of negative unforgiving emotions with positive, other-oriented emotions. Rumination has been suggested as a mediator between forgivingness and emotional outcomes; however, we suggest that different content of rumination leads to different outcomes after transgressions. In four studies of 179, 233, 80, and 66 undergraduate students, trait forgivingness was negatively correlated with trait anger, hostility, neuroticism, fear, and vengeful rumination and was positively correlated with agreeableness, extraversion, and trait empathy. The disposition to ruminate vengefully mediated the relationship between trait forgivingness and (1) anger-related traits and (2) both revenge motivations and state anger following a specific recent transgression, but it did not mediate between forgivingness and (1) fearfulness and (2) avoidance motivations following a specific transgression. Self-hate statements, a proxy for depressive rumination, mediated the relationship between forgivingness and both depression and fearfulness but not the relationship between forgivingness and trait anger. Future research should distinguish the contents of mental rumination following interpersonal transgressions.

Rumination, emotion, and forgiveness: Three longitudinal studies.

“…Other investigators recently proposed a similar "matching hypotheses" regarding the relations among rumination, forgiveness, and affect (Berry, Worthington, O'Connor, et al, 2005), and it comports well with other evidence that anger is associated with approach motivation (Harmon-Jones, Vaughn-Scott, Mohr, Sigelman, & Harmon-Jones, 2004) and optimistic appraisals of risk, whereas fear leads to pessimistic appraisals of risk (Lerner & Keltner, 2000.…”

Harsh childhood environmental characteristics predict exploitation and retaliation in humans

“…The second scale measured endorsement of 'street code' beliefs (10 items; a ¼ 0.81), with items from elsewhere [25,35,36] such as 'Sometimes, you have to fight to uphold your honour or put someone in his or her place'. The third scale, which measured attitudes towards forgiveness, included seven items (reverse coded; a ¼ 0.76) from Berry et al [37] such as 'I try to forgive others even when they don't feel guilty for what they did'. The three scales, which we derived using factor-analytic methods, were then themselves factored, yielding one factor that accounted for 67 per cent of the standardized variances of the three scales.…”

Forgiveness: As Attaining Mental Health among Depressed Patients

“…Berry et al [3] noted that likely forgiveness enhance mental health increased by shaping the interpersonal functioning, good behaviors and social support. Forgiveness is a real decision and emotional experiences of the people can change through forgiveness, a connection to the physical and mental health [31].…”

“…For example some definitions refer to provisions for forgiveness [1,3,4], while others focus on single or special relationship relentlessly motives [5]. Other forms of definition of forgiveness have an approach taxonomic check and a variety of destinations and forms of forgiveness [6].…”

“…For example some definitions refer to provisions for forgiveness [1,3,4], while others focus on single or special relationship relentlessly motives From the perspective of Foundation for Inner Peace, Jampolsky & Friedman [7][8][9][10][11], forgiveness happens when a person is always emotionally supports processes, complaints, thoughts and beliefs attack on himself and others to collect good, value, the glory, the innocence, of love and of peace in both you and to a different person at the same time also from this point of view is the process of forgiveness is active when a person before an election consciousness/decision awarded and then the process of forgiveness to a higher power/Auto (e.g. the Holy Spirit).…”