Measuring Individual Differences in the Tendency to Forgive: Construct Validity and Links with Depression

Abstract

Four studies examine the construct validity of the Tendency to

Mediating the Effect of Gratitude in the Relationship between Forgiveness and Life Satisfaction among University Students

“…Studies on forgiveness consistently find links between forgiveness and mental (McCullough & Witvliet, 2002) as well as physical health (Lawler-Row, Hyatt Edwards, Wuensch & Karremans, 2011). Likewise, other researchers have found negative relationships between forgiveness and depression (Brown, 2003) and between forgiveness and the need for belonging (Lawler-Row, Hyatt Edwards, Wuensch & Karremans, 2011). Some authors also report that individuals with low self-esteem are less likely to forgive (Eaton et al 2007).…”

Evidence for a distinct forgiveness prototype: Convergent and discriminant validity

“…This is an interesting result, because while most theoretical perspectives acknowledge the importance of the interpersonal aspect of forgiveness (e.g., Baumeister et a1., 1998;Enright, 2001;Exline & Baumeister, 2000;Fincham, 2000), it is primarily the intrapsychic dimension that has been the focus of most forgiveness measures (e.g., Berry, Worthington, Parrott, O'Connor, & Wade, 2001;Brown, 2003;McCullough et a1., 1998;Subkoviak et a1., 1995).…”

“…Research on forgiveness is growing rapidly, including the roles played by situational factors (McCullough, Fincham, & Tsang, 2003;Takaku, 2001), intrapersonal factors and individual differences (Bradfield & Aquino, 1999;Brown, 2003;Konstam, Chernoff, & Deveney, 2001) and dyadic relational factors (Fincham & Beach, 2002;Finkel, Rusbult, Kumashiro, & Hannon, 2002;Friesen et al, 2005). However, as mentioned earlier, there has been relatively little interest in a possible consensual lay representation of forgiveness, and only a handful of studies have examined forgiveness from a lay perspective.…”

“…On the other hand, if the lay prototype of forgiveness operates in a similar fashion across both those high and low in forgiveness tendencies, this would suggest that these conceptual representations, or schemas, tap into more foundational knowledge structures that are relatively invariant across individual differences. To this end, both the Tendency Toward Forgiveness and Attitudes Toward Forgiveness scales (Brown, 2003) were used to assess participants' general inclination toward forgiveness.…”

Forgiveness: As Attaining Mental Health among Depressed Patients

“…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).…”