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Journal ArticleDOI

Interpersonal forgiving in close relationships

01 Aug 1997-Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (American Psychological Association)-Vol. 73, Iss: 2, pp 321-336
TL;DR: Evidence is found consistent with the hypotheses that the relationship between receiving an apology from and forgiving one's offender is a function of increased empathy for the offender and that forgiving is uniquely related to conciliatory behavior and avoidance behavior toward the offending partner.
Abstract: Forgiving is a motivational transformation that inclines people to inhibit relationship-destructive responses and to behave constructively toward someone who has behaved destructively toward them. The authors describe a model of forgiveness based on the hypothesis that people forgive others to the extent that they experience empathy for them. Two studies investigated the empathy model of forgiveness. In Study 1, the authors developed measures of empathy and forgiveness. The authors found evidence consistent with the hypotheses that (a) the relationship between receiving an apology from and forgiving one's offender is a function of increased empathy for the offender and (b) that forgiving is uniquely related to conciliatory behavior and avoidance behavior toward the offending partner. In Study 2, the authors conducted an intervention in which empathy was manipulated to examine the empathy-forgiving relationship more closely. Results generally supported the conceptualization of forgiving as a motivational phenomenon and the empathy-forgiving link.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the validity of Turkish versions of three forgivenessrelated questionnaires: the Conceptualizations of Forgiveness Questionnaire, the Forgivingness Questionnaire and the Disposition to Seek Forg forgiveness Questionnaire.
Abstract: The study examined the validity of the Turkish versions of three forgiveness-related questionnaires: the Conceptualizations of Forgiveness Questionnaire, the Forgivingness Questionnaire, and the Disposition to Seek Forgiveness Questionnaire. These questionnaires were translated from English to Turkish. The study also compared Turkish and French participants’ scores on these scales. The sample comprised 252 students living in Turkey and 216 students living in France. The four-factor model of conceptualization of forgiveness, the three-factor model of forgivingness, and the three-factor model of disposition to seek forgiveness were shown to hold in a Turkish sample of students. The associations observed in previous studies between several subscales of these questionnaires were also found in the Turkish sample, thus providing additional evidence of the construct validity of the Turkish versions. Finally, it was shown that (a) the unconditional forgiveness and unconditional seeking of forgiveness mean scores were lower among the Turkish participants than among the French participants, and (b) the sensitivity to circumstances scores were higher among the Turkish participants than among the French participants.

7 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss personhood as an object of commitment and forgiveness in the spouses of people living with mental illness, and discuss how mental illness makes divorce more likely but qualitative re...
Abstract: This article discusses personhood as an object of commitment and forgiveness in the spouses of people living with mental illness. Mental illness makes divorce more likely but qualitative re...

7 citations

01 Jan 2008
TL;DR: Men and women responded with similar levels of distress to both types of infidelity as discussed by the authors, and women were less forgiving as sexual infidelity severity increased, while men reported more couple identity after infidelity than did women, and it was associated less positively and nonsignificantly with less forgiveness for men.
Abstract: of a dissertation at the University of Miami. Dissertation supervised by Professor Michael McCullough. No. of pages in text. (71) Infidelity in romantic relationships can be devastating, and can cause many complex emotional reactions. The Jealousy as a Specific Innate Module (JSIM) hypothesis posits that due to differing reproductive pressures over evolutionary history, men and women have evolved different mechanisms to respond to infidelity. JSIM proposes that men, due to fears of cuckoldry, will respond with intense jealousy to a partner’s sexual infidelity. It proposes that women, who are certain of their maternity but may suffer severe consequences if their mate falls in love with another and diverts his resources elsewhere, will respond with intense jealousy to emotional infidelity. These gender effects were examined in a study of participants who had recently been cheated on sexually, emotionally, or both, by romantic partners. Distress, forgiveness, and couple identity were measured. Results among actual victims of infidelity failed to support the JSIM hypotheses. Men and women responded with similar levels of distress to both types of infidelity. Both men and women were less forgiving as sexual infidelity severity increased, yet the severity of sexual infidelity was associated positively and significantly with less forgiveness for women, and it was associated less positively and nonsignificantly with less forgiveness for men. Men reported more couple identity after infidelity than did women. In a larger sample that used hypothetical scenarios, it was found that men responded with more upset to sexual infidelity and women responded with more upset to emotional infidelity when using a forced choice method.

7 citations

01 Jan 2015
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluate the association between adult attachment dimensions (anxiety over abandonment and avoidance of intimacy) and forgiveness of transgressions occurred in romantic relationships and compare the predictive weight of each dimension on forgiveness.
Abstract: Attachment theory allows the understanding of several aspects of interpersonal functioning, including the ability to forgive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between adult attachment dimensions (anxiety over abandonment and avoidance of intimacy) and forgiveness of transgressions occurred in romantic relationships. Additionally, it was sought to compare the predictive weight of each dimension on forgiveness. With this purpose, 647 university students completed self-report measures of romantic attachment and forgiveness. Analysis through structural equation modeling allow to conclude that both higher anxiety and/or higher avoidance were associated to lower forgiveness. Additionally, individuals with high levels of avoidance show more difficulties to forgive than those with high levels of anxiety.

7 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Two 10-item mood scales that comprise the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) are developed and are shown to be highly internally consistent, largely uncorrelated, and stable at appropriate levels over a 2-month time period.
Abstract: In recent studies of the structure of affect, positive and negative affect have consistently emerged as two dominant and relatively independent dimensions. A number of mood scales have been created to measure these factors; however, many existing measures are inadequate, showing low reliability or poor convergent or discriminant validity. To fill the need for reliable and valid Positive Affect and Negative Affect scales that are also brief and easy to administer, we developed two 10-item mood scales that comprise the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The scales are shown to be highly internally consistent, largely uncorrelated, and stable at appropriate levels over a 2-month time period. Normative data and factorial and external evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for the scales are also presented.

34,482 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A new coefficient is proposed to summarize the relative reduction in the noncentrality parameters of two nested models and two estimators of the coefficient yield new normed (CFI) and nonnormed (FI) fit indexes.
Abstract: Normed and nonnormed fit indexes are frequently used as adjuncts to chi-square statistics for evaluating the fit of a structural model A drawback of existing indexes is that they estimate no known population parameters A new coefficient is proposed to summarize the relative reduction in the noncentrality parameters of two nested models Two estimators of the coefficient yield new normed (CFI) and nonnormed (FI) fit indexes CFI avoids the underestimation of fit often noted in small samples for Bentler and Bonett's (1980) normed fit index (NFI) FI is a linear function of Bentler and Bonett's non-normed fit index (NNFI) that avoids the extreme underestimation and overestimation often found in NNFI Asymptotically, CFI, FI, NFI, and a new index developed by Bollen are equivalent measures of comparative fit, whereas NNFI measures relative fit by comparing noncentrality per degree of freedom All of the indexes are generalized to permit use of Wald and Lagrange multiplier statistics An example illustrates the behavior of these indexes under conditions of correct specification and misspecification The new fit indexes perform very well at all sample sizes

21,588 citations

Book
01 Jan 1958
TL;DR: The psychology of interpersonal relations as mentioned in this paper, The psychology in interpersonal relations, The Psychology of interpersonal relationships, کتابخانه دیجیتال و فن اطلاعات دانشگاه امام صادق(ع)
Abstract: The psychology of interpersonal relations , The psychology of interpersonal relations , کتابخانه دیجیتال و فن آوری اطلاعات دانشگاه امام صادق(ع)

15,254 citations


Additional excerpts

  • ...Social psychologists have also addressed interpersonal forgiving from time to time (Darby & Schlenker, 1982; Gahagan & Tedeschi, 1968; Heider, 1958; Horai, Lindskold, Gahagan, & Tedeschi, 1969; Weiner, Graham, Peter, & Zmuidinas, 1991)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A scale of current subjective distress, related to a specific event, was based on a list of items composed of commonly reported experiences of intrusion and avoidance, and responses indicated that the scale had a useful degree of significance and homogeneity.
Abstract: Clinical, field, and experimental studies of response to potentially stressful life events give concordant findings: there is a general human tendency to undergo episodes of intrusive thinking and periods of avoidance. A scale of current subjective distress, related to a specific event, was based on a list of items composed of commonly reported experiences of intrusion and avoidance. Responses of 66 persons admitted to an outpatient clinic for the treatment of stress response syndromes indicated that the scale had a useful degree of significance and homogeneity. Empirical clusters supported the concept of subscores for intrusions and avoidance responses.

7,692 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Dyadic Adjustment Scale as discussed by the authors is a measure for assessing the quality of marriage and other similar dyads, which is designed for use with either married or unmarried cohabiting couples.
Abstract: This study reports on the development of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, a new measure for assessing the quality of marriage and other similar dyads. The 32-item scale is designed for use with either married or unmarried cohabiting couples. Despite widespread criticisms of the concept of adjustment, the study proceeds from the pragmatic position that a new measure, which is theoretically grounded, relevant, valid, and highly reliable, is necessary since marital and dyadic adjustment continue to be researched. This factor analytic study tests a conceptual definition set forth in eariler work and suggests the existence of four empirically verified components of dyadic adjustment which can be used as subscales [dyadic satisfaction, dyadic cohesion, dyadic consensus and affectional expression]. Evidence is presented suggesting content, criterion-related, and construct validity. High scale reliability is reported. The possibility of item weighting is considered and endorsed as a potential measurement technique, but it not adopted for the present Dyadic Adjustment Scale. It is concluded that the Dyadic Adjustment Scale represents a significant improvement over other measures of marital adjustment, but a number of troublesome methodological issues remain for future research.

6,899 citations