Personality, self‐esteem, and self‐construal as correlates of forgivingness

Abstract

The relationship between forgivingness (enduring resentment, sensitivity to circumstances, and overall propensity to forgive) and a number of personality dimensions relevant to forgivingness was examined. These dimensions were self-esteem, shyness and embarrassment, on one hand, and self-construal and perceived loneliness, on the other hand. The main relationships between forgivingness and personality concerned the interpersonal dimensions of personality: shyness, embarrassment, independence from others, and interdependence with others. However, the intra-personal, strictly self-referential concomitants of these dimensions (self-esteem and loneliness) were not much linked to forgivingness. Furthermore, each personality factor had a distinct link with forgivingness: independence made the resentment still more enduring, shyness and social embarrassment exacerbated the sensitivity to circumstances, and interdependence increased the willingness to forgive. These findings throw light on the double aspect of forgiveness as intra-and inter-individual and on the relative independence of these aspects. The observed pattern of relationships varied notably (and significantly) as a function of the participants' genders. It could be therefore important, in future studies, to compute systematically correlation coefficients or assess main effects separately for women and men.

Seeking Forgiveness: Factor Structure in Samples from Latin America, Africa, Asia and Southern Europe

“…Previous studies conducted with Portuguese samples have found the three-factor forgivingness structure (Mullet et al, 2003;Neto, 2007;Neto & Mullet, 2004). As the two three-factor structures -forgivingness and the disposition at seeking forgiveness -are parallel structures, it seemed to be likely that a three-factor structure should also be evidenced among Portuguese participants.…”

Dose Self-Esteem Mediates the Association Between Personality Traits and Happiness? A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

“…Self-esteem refers to individuals' sense to their worth or how they appreciate, like or prize their selves (Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, & Vohs, 2003;Katz, 1998;Neto & Mullet, 2004). Self-esteem is the most commonly studied personality concept in psychology and has been examined from various perspectives such as biological, socioeconomic and cultural factors (Naderi, Abdullah, Aizan, Sharir, & Kumar, 2009;Neiss, Sedikides, & Stevenson, 2002).…”

Maladaptive Correlates of the Failure to Forgive Self and Others: Further Evidence for a Two-Component Model of Forgiveness

“…For instance, some have suggested that the absence of negative affect is necessary and largely sufficient for forgiveness (e.g., the Human Development Study Group, 1991); others felt this is incomplete and also emphasized the experience of positive affect toward the transgressor as a critical part of complete forgiveness (Edwards et al, 2002). Despite the controversy, a number of investigations have provided empirical support for forgiveness as a psychological construct (Freedman & Enright, 1996;McCullough, Rye, & Pargamant, 2002;Neto & Mullet, 2004), even if the nature and consensual operationalization of this construct remains unresolved. In light of such controversies, this study represents a parsing of the forgiveness construct into empirically derived components consistent with recent findings by Ross, Kendall, Matters, Rye, and Wrobel (2004).…”

“…Neto and Mullet (2004) emphasized the "independence" of what they referred to as the "double aspect of forgiveness" (p. 15). Neto and Mullet separated intraindividual facets from interpersonal features of forgiveness.…”