Showing papers by "Everett L. Worthington published in 2003"

The Religious Commitment Inventory--10: Development, Refinement, and Validation of a Brief Scale for Research and Counseling.

Abstract: The authors report the development of the Religious Commitment Inventory-10 (RCI-10), used in 6 studies. Sample sizes were 155, 132, and 150 college students; 240 Christian church-attending married adults; 468 undergraduates including (among others) Buddhists (n = 52), Muslims (n = 12), Hindus (n = 10), and nonreligious (n = 117); and 217 clients and 52 counselors in a secular or 1 of 6 religious counseling agencies. Scores on the RCI-10 had strong estimated internal consistency, 3-week and 5-month test-retest reliability, construct validity, and discriminant validity. Exploratory (Study 1) and confirmatory (Studies 4 and 6) factor analyses identified 2 highly correlated factors, suggesting a 1-factor structure as most parsimonious. Religious commitment predicted response to an imagined robbery (Study 2), marriage (Study 4), and counseling (Study 6).

Forgiveness and Justice: A Research Agenda for Social and Personality Psychology:

Abstract: Forgiveness and related constructs (e.g., repentance, mercy, reconciliation) are ripe for study by social and personality psychologists, including those interested in justice. Current trends in social science, law, management, philosophy, and theology suggest a need to expand existing justice frameworks to incorporate alternatives or complements to retribution, including forgiveness and related processes. In this article, we raise five challenging empirical questions about forgiveness. For each question, we briefly review representative research, raise hypotheses, and suggest specific ways in which social and personality psychologists could make distinctive contributions.

Overcoming Interpersonal Offenses: Is Forgiveness the Only Way to Deal With Unforgiveness?

Abstract: Almost everyone is unforgiving at times. Many people seek to deal with the revenge and avoidance of unforgiveness by forgiving. The authors explore potential predictors of unforgiveness and forgiveness for a specific offense in 91 undergraduates. Positive feelings of forgiveness were uniquely predicted by dispositional forgivingness and by the participants' deliberate attempt to forgive the offense. Different patterns of predictors suggest that unforgiveness and forgiveness are not necessarily reciprocally related. This implies that interventions might be developed to reduce unforgiveness without attempting to promote forgiveness. This may be crucial in situations where forgiveness is not desirable.

Forgiving and Reconciling: Bridges to Wholeness and Hope

Abstract: A 2003 Templeton Foundation Book of Distinction! All of us have suffered painful emotional and relational hurts. God calls us to forgive those In a controversial subject while forgiveness this when his methodology. A great book for injured us have hurt deeply. How to others as five steps read and compassion agape love. Worthington jr worthington he has forgiven them forgiveness says that christianity. He shows us have suffered painful emotional and practical ways to understand that only. Weve all the brutal murder of five steps to forgive and reconciling how. Worthington explains forgiveness is that forgiving with a terrific. His convictions were put to forgive the same. Positive worthington jr excellent, is the murderer we forgive power. Worthington invites the often easier said than when and compassion. This book it is the test as he worked through his convictions were put. In vengeful rumination hold on to forgive and family. He is a wealth of clinically proven tools and licensed clinical psychologist counselor who. Lewis smedes author is the while forgiveness since author.

A Study of Two Marital Enrichment Programs and Couples' Quality of Life

Abstract: The need for empirical research that contributes to the prevention and arrest of marital distress is increasing. Factors identified through research as being influential in the stability of marriag...

Doctoral Research Training Environments (RTEs): Implications for the Teaching of Psychology:

Abstract: Doctoral-level training in psychology places importance on helping students acquire facilitative research-related attitudes, skills, and interests. Training models in PhD applied psychology program...

Hope-Focused Marriage: Recommendations for Researchers, Clinicians, and Church Workers

Abstract: In response to questions posed to several respondents in this special issue, I describe a hope-focused approach to improving marriage, especially among Christians who marry. Hope involves maintaining a positive motivation to change (i.e., willpower), a variety of pathways to change (i.e., waypower), and perseverance (i.e., waitpower). I use these hope-focused principles to understand marriage and its future, to guide recommendations for public policy and preventive strategies, and to encourage helpers to continue to help couples. Despite cultural influences that challenge marriage as an institution, I remain hopeful that society and intervention specialists can still strengthen marriages. ********** Can you briefly describe what kind of work you're currently doing in support of Christian marriages? In 1996, God gave me a clear mission statement for the foreseeable future: to promote forgiveness in every willing heart, home, and homeland. I have had many research interests over the years. But I now believe that God wants me to focus on forgiveness. Since 1996, I have pursued this purpose. I have done other research (such as studying marriage and Christian values) in service of my prime mission. I recently completed a six-year longitudinal study funded by the John Templeton Foundation on interventions in early marriage (ended July 31, 2003). In the 1980's, I created an approach that has evolved into what is now call hope-focused marriage counseling (Worthington, 1989, 1999), or hope-focused relationship enhancement (Worthington et al., 1997). That approach has guided my practice, training, and research into marriage intervention. Colleagues and I demonstrated that a five-hour enrichment intervention could be effective (Worthington et al., 1997). I have done component analyses of that method over the years to find out which parts are most effective (Hammonds & Worthington, 1985; Ripley & Worthington, 2002; Worthington, Buston, & Hammonds, 1989; Worthington et al., 1995; Worthington & Ripley, 2002). The Templeton-funded research is another of those component analyses. A 9-hour intervention is delivered by a consultant to a couple. In one intervention, I use the parts of hope-focused marriage enrichment that concentrate on communication training and conflict-resolution training. Only brief mentions of intimacy and forgiveness are made. In the second intervention, consultants teach FREE (Forgiveness and Reconciliation through Experiencing Empathy). FREE is a 9-hour intervention that is framed as a way of creating more intimacy and maintaining intimacy if transgressions interrupt the marital flow. FREE includes training in both forgiveness and reconciliation. I described these principles in a recent book that was aimed at a mass-market audience (Worthington, 2001; see also Worthington & Drinkard, 2000) and another Christian version (Worthington, 2003). I have been blessed to continue to collaborate with excellent colleagues. We are studying how people forgive, reconcile, talk about transgressions, and experience forgiveness. We have also continued to study how to help people forgive more quickly and efficiently. I have become particularly interested in other ways besides forgiveness whereby Christians can deal with transgressions. These ways include forbearing, letting go of the transgression, turning judgment over to God, telling a different story about the transgression, or seeking justice through mutual apology, restitution, and repentance. Each of those alternatives is useful in marriage. Forgiveness frequently is a major issue. To succeed in marriage, partners must have hope for the future, learn and use communication, conflict resolution, closeness, and commitment skills in the present, and be able to deal with hurts, wounds, and offenses from the past. So forgiveness is a crucial part of marriage. In recent years, much of my research directly on marriage or marriage interventions has been in collaboration with Jennifer Ripley, Les Parrott, and Leslie Parrott. …

Religion and Spirituality, Older Adulthood

Abstract: Any exploration of religion and spirituality must begin with explicit definitions of concepts. While existing definitions span a broad spectrum, we have chosen the following: Religion is the individual and corporate search for the sacred that has been formalized into an institution. Spirituality is the search for the sacred, which may or may not exist within an institution.