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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, an evidence-based psychoeducational group to promote forgiveness, derived from the emotion-replacement model of forgiveness is described and adapted to the treatment of alcohol dependence and abuse within a family context.
Abstract: SUMMARY We describe one theoretical perspective on injustice, unforgiveness, justice, and forgiveness (i.e., an emotional-replacement model) and describe an intervention to promote forgiveness, which is applied to alcohol dependence and abuse. We identify major transgressions within families who deal with alcohol-related problems. We note risk factors related to the development of unforgiving emotions and describe ways that people typically cope with the stress of unforgiveness. Finally, an evidence-based psychoeducational group to promote forgiveness, derived from the emotion-replacement model of forgiveness is described and adapted to the treatment of alcohol dependence and abuse within a family context. Whereas unforgiveness seems frequent within families dealing with alcohol dependence, empirical research on unforgiveness and forgiveness within those families is sparse.

37 citations


Cites background from "Interpersonal forgiving in close re..."

  • ...We term these self-enhancement motives (McCullough et al., 1997)....

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  • ...One may also forgive for altruistic motives–to bless a needy offender (McCullough et al., 1997)–or out of humility (Shults & Sandage, 2003)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article investigated the effect of costly signalling model of apology across seven countries (Chile, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and the U.S.) and found that costly apologies were perceived to be significantly more sincere than no cost apologies in all seven countries.
Abstract: After inadvertently committing an interpersonal transgression, an offender might make an effortful apology (e.g. cancelling an important meeting to make an apology as soon as possible). Such costly apologies signal the apologiser's sincere intention to restore the endangered relationship. The present study investigated this costly signalling model of apology across seven countries (Chile, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and the U.S.). Participants were asked to imagine that a friend had committed an interpersonal transgression against them and had then apologised in either a costly or non-costly fashion. The results showed that costly apologies were perceived to be significantly more sincere than no cost apologies in the all seven countries. We further investigated whether religious beliefs would moderate the effect of costly apologies. Consistent with our prediction and evolutionary hypothesis, costly apologies were perceived to be significantly more sincere than no cost ap...

37 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the mediating impact of customer forgiveness between justice facets and satisfaction in the context of Pakistan's banking industry was tested by using the data of 453 bank customers of domestic banks in Pakistan.

37 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Forgiveness is also one of the spiritual interventions most frequently used by psychotherapists as discussed by the authors, however, although it has been explored as an element in psychotherapy, the models generated have had little impact on research and practice.
Abstract: This paper explores forgiveness, which is a key component of spiritual pastoral care. Encouraging forgiveness is also one of the spiritual interventions most frequently used by psychotherapists. However, although forgiveness has been explored as an element in psychotherapy, the models generated have had little impact on research and practice. Recent research into forgiveness in therapy is considered, including several models put forward for its use. Some of the implications of the use of forgiveness in therapeutic practice are examined and guidelines for the use of forgiveness in psychotherapy are put forward based on the work of the Forgiveness Project at the University of Manchester.

37 citations


Cites background from "Interpersonal forgiving in close re..."

  • ...The second study (McCullough et al., 1997) suggests that empathy is likely to play a key role in promoting forgiveness....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Forgiveness is defined as reducing one's grudge and giving up negative thoughts, emotions, and motivations as discussed by the authors, which can help clients to escape the control that past events have exerted over them and to limit the tendency to project the effects of past hurts into future relationships.
Abstract: A new and sometimes controversial topic, forgiveness, has emerged from the psychological literature in counseling and psychotherapy. Many have claimed that forgiveness is a reasonable and worthwhile goal when attempting to help people deal with difficult experiences (e.g., Enright & Fitzgibbons, 2000; Ferch, 1998). These clinicians and researchers state that helping clients to forgive, rather than just cope with, the consequences of hurts can be useful for ameliorating multiple difficulties and promoting general well-being. Fitzgibbons (1986), for example, theorized that forgiveness can help clients to escape the control that past events have exerted over them and to limit the tendency to project the effects of past hurts into future relationships. Based on the theory that explicitly promoting forgiveness can be especially useful for some clients, interventions have been developed to help clients achieve forgiveness and have proven effective in clinical trials (Wade, Worthington, & Meyer, 2005). However, many of these interventions have not been directly compared with standard psychotherapeutic treatments, and so the question of whether explicit forgiveness treatments are more effective than current methods of treatment is still unanswered. * Definitions of Forgiveness There appears to be consensus in the psychological literature that forgiving is not condoning, pardoning, reconciling, excusing, justifying, forbearing, or just moving on with one's life (Wade & Worthington, 2005). But what is forgiveness? On this topic, researchers and clinicians often disagree. Worthington (2005) has suggested that greater consensus exists when one considers two basic types of relationships in which forgiveness can occur. In the case of a transgression by a stranger, forgiveness is defined as reducing one's grudge and giving up negative thoughts, emotions, and motivations. Hence, when dealing with strangers with whom the victim has not had nor desires to have an ongoing relationship, forgiveness is synonymous with the reduction in unforgiveness (defined as a complex of negative emotions, such as bitterness, that develops after ruminating on an offense; Worthington & Wade, 1999). In contrast, in ongoing valued relationships, forgiveness is understood to include both the reduction of vengeful, avoidant, and bitter feelings, thoughts, and behaviors (i.e., unforgiveness) and the increase or promotion of more positive feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Theoretically, this occurs through replacing negative emotions with more positive, other-oriented emotions such as pity, sympathy, compassion, or even love (Worthington & Wade, 1999). Moreover, forgiveness is distinct from reconciliation (e.g., one may forgive and still decide to end a relationship). Victims who experience forgiveness defined in this way can still hold an offender accountable for the consequences of the offense and can think carefully about whether trust can be restored and the relationship renewed. * Outcome Research on Specific Forgiveness Interventions The first outcome study of an intervention designed explicitly to promote forgiveness was published in 1993 by Hebl and Enright, based on Enright's (Enright & the Human Development Study Group, 1991) process model of forgiveness. Since that time, numerous intervention studies have been conducted, primarily from two research laboratories, Enright's and Worthington's, although others have made significant contributions as well (in particular, Rye & Pargament, 2002; Rye et al., 2005). Most of the outcome research has been conducted in a group, psycho-educational format (for a review, see Wade & Worthington, 2005). However, several studies have been conducted to examine the efficacy of forgiveness interventions in individual counseling (e.g., Freedman & Enright, 1996) and groups of couples (e.g., Ripley & Worthington, 2002). The body of forgiveness intervention research has grown large enough that several meta-analyses have been published summarizing the results. …

37 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