Marital Forgiveness: An Explanation Based on Human Values

Abstract

This study aimed to understand the relationship between marital forgiveness and human values and to discover the latter's power to predict whether a marriage will recover. The study included 313 participants who were married or in a long-term relationship, 70% from the state of Paraíba and 30% from the state of Piauí. The participants' ages ranged from 18 to 70 years (M = 35.0; SD = 11.41), the majority being female (67.7%). The participants answered three questionnaires: the Marital OffenceSpecifi c Forgiveness Scale, the Basic Values Questionnaire, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Two stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were conducted. The fi rst, which took the value subfunctions as the predictive variables, found that the interactive subfunction explains marital forgiveness, directly contributing to the explanation of whether forgiveness is granted between couples. The second analysis took the type of orientation as explanatory variables. It found that social values directly contribute to explaining whether the marriage recovers. In light of these results, one may conclude that individuals who prioritize social values are more disposed to grant forgiveness within a marriage.