The Relationship Between Forgiveness and Borderline Personality Symptomatology

The relationship between forgiveness and borderline personality symptomatology has been rarely studied. Using a consecutive cross-sectional sample of 307 internal medicine outpatients and a survey methodology, we examined correlations between the Forgiveness Scale and borderline personality symptomatology as measured by the borderline personality disorder scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 and the Self-Harm Inventory. Numerous forgiveness subscales as well as the composite Forgiveness Scale score demonstrated statistically significant relationships with both measures for borderline personality symptomatology, such that individuals with this personality pathology demonstrated lower scores on these forgiveness subscales. Findings indicate that among individuals with borderline personality symptomatology, there are numerous aspects of forgiveness that are significantly lower than in individuals without this symptomatology.     

Dispositional forgiveness of self, others, and situations

Six studies regarding forgiveness are presented. The Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS), a self-report measure of dispositional forgiveness (with subscales to assess forgiveness of self, others, and situations) was developed and demonstrated good psychometric properties. Forgiveness correlated positively with cognitive flexibility, positive affect, and distraction; it correlated negatively with rumination, vengeance, and hostility. Forgiveness predicted four components of psychological well-being (anger, anxiety, depression, and satisfaction with life); forgiveness of situations accounted for unique variance in these components of psychological well-being. Forgiveness and hostility demonstrated equivalent, inverse associations with relationship duration, and forgiveness accounted for unique variance in relationship satisfaction, even when controlling for trust. Forgiveness level correlated positively with decreased negativity in statements written about transgressions in the present versus the past tense.     

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of two forgiveness scales

This study examined the psychometric properties of two forgiveness scales using participants enrolled at a Midwestern Catholic university (N = 328). The Forgiveness Scale is a 15—item Likert-type scale designed to measure forgiveness toward an of-fender. The Forgiveness Likelihood Scale is a 10—item Likert-type scale designed to measure tendency to forgive across situations. Factor analyses revealed that the For-giveness Scale contains two subscales (i.e., Absence of Negative, Presence of Posi-tive) and the Forgiveness Likelihood Scale consists of a single factor. Both scales have adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Both subscales of the Forgiveness Scale were significantly correlated in the expected direction with mea-sures of forgiveness, religiousness, anger, hope, religious well-being, existential well-being, and social desirability. The Forgiveness Likelihood Scale was significantly correlated in the expected direction with measures of forgiveness, religiousness, trait anger, religious well-being, and social desirability. The authors thank Sarah Danko, Anne Hovancsek, Carla Kmett, Jennifer Martin, and Colleen Ryan for their assistance. We kindly request that researchers who use the forgiveness scales evaluated in this study provide us with a summary of their psychometric data for the scales. The idea for creating the Forgiveness Likelihood Scale was based upon the Willingness to Forgive Scale (Hebl & Enright, 1993).     

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of two forgiveness scales

This study examined the psychometric properties of two forgiveness scales using participants enrolled at a Midwestern Catholic university (N = 328). The Forgiveness Scale is a 15—item Likert-type scale designed to measure forgiveness toward an of-fender. The Forgiveness Likelihood Scale is a 10—item Likert-type scale designed to measure tendency to forgive across situations. Factor analyses revealed that the For-giveness Scale contains two subscales (i.e., Absence of Negative, Presence of Posi-tive) and the Forgiveness Likelihood Scale consists of a single factor. Both scales have adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Both subscales of the Forgiveness Scale were significantly correlated in the expected direction with mea-sures of forgiveness, religiousness, anger, hope, religious well-being, existential well-being, and social desirability. The Forgiveness Likelihood Scale was significantly correlated in the expected direction with measures of forgiveness, religiousness, trait anger, religious well-being, and social desirability. The authors thank Sarah Danko, Anne Hovancsek, Carla Kmett, Jennifer Martin, and Colleen Ryan for their assistance. We kindly request that researchers who use the forgiveness scales evaluated in this study provide us with a summary of their psychometric data for the scales. The idea for creating the Forgiveness Likelihood Scale was based upon the Willingness to Forgive Scale (Hebl & Enright, 1993).     

Adult attachment and forgiveness in Taiwanese college students

The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between measures of adult attachment and forgiveness in college students in Taiwan. Participants (203 women and 82 men; M age = 19.6 yr., SD = 1.2) completed measures of adult attachment dimensions (Adult Attachment Scale), State Forgiveness (Forgiveness Scale), and Trait Forgiveness (Forgiveness Likelihood Scale). Pearson correlations and regression results indicated ratings on three dimensions of adult attachment, Dependence, Anxiety, and Closeness, were significantly related to State Forgiveness, and all but scores on Dependence were significantly related to scores on Trait Forgiveness. Only ratings of Anxiety and Closeness significantly predicted those on State and Trait Forgiveness. The findings provided partial support for using attachment theory to understand the construct of forgiveness.     

Measuring religious attitudes: reliability and validity of the German version of the Systems of Belief Inventory (SBI-15R-D) in a representative sample

Forgiveness is a core value within Christianity and many other religions, but it is unclear whether valuing forgiveness results in individuals being more forgiving. This study examines the effect of Christian religious belief on forgiveness; tests the theoretical speculation that trust fosters forgiveness; explores the effect of cynicism, and examines age effects on forgiveness with a British sample. Christian clergy (N?=?209), general population samples of Christians (N?=?176), and a group with NRA (N?=?65) completed the Heartland Forgiveness Scale measuring forgiveness of self, others, and situations, and measures of trust, cynicism, and the importance of forgiveness. The clergy score higher on total forgiveness, forgiveness of self, others, and situations; rate forgiveness as being more important; are more trusting; and are less cynical than the Christian and no religious affiliation (NRA) samples in the general population. While the Christian sample value forgiveness more than the NRA group, they are not more forgiving on any of the measures tested. Age is a significant predictor only for situational forgiveness. Trust is not a positive mediator of forgiveness for any of the participant groups, and neither is cynicism a negative mediator of forgiveness.     

Self-Reported Interoceptive Sensibility Does Not Moderate the Relationship Between Eating Disorder Symptoms and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors

Past research has demonstrated a strong relationship between eating disorders (EDs) and suicidality (i.e., suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts), and preliminary work within the framework of the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (Joiner, 2007) suggests that potentially painful ED behaviors (binge eating, purging, fasting, excessive exercise) may contribute to increased risk of suicide through heightened pain tolerance and increased capability of suicide. However, additional explanations are needed for why only some individuals with EDs actually engage in suicidal behaviors (i.e., attempt suicide), whereas others do not. A growing body of literature suggests that interoceptive deficits (a disconnection from one’s own bodily sensations and emotions; IDs) might be a factor linking eating disorders and suicide. To better understand this relationship, the current study tests the moderating effects of self-reported IDs on the relations between ED behaviors and suicidality and past suicide attempts in a transdiagnostic ED sample (N = 181). We hypothesized that ED behaviors would directly relate to suicidality, but that IDs would moderate the relationship between ED behaviors and past suicide attempts, such that those high in IDs would demonstrate a stronger relationship between ED behaviors and suicide attempts. Contrary to our hypothesis, IDs did not moderate the relationship; instead, fasting and purging had significant and strong main effects on suicidality and past suicide attempts without moderation effects. Results suggest that fasting and purging may be important ED behaviors to consider in the relationship between EDs and suicidality. Future directions include further examining the relationship between IDs, suicidality, and EDs using measures of IDs that better encompass physical (as opposed to emotional) aspects of IDs.     

Mediator Roles of Interpersonal Forgiveness and Self-Forgiveness between Self-Esteem and Subjective well-Being

This study examined the effect of self-esteem on subjective well-being, with focus on confirmation of mediator roles of interpersonal forgiveness and self-forgiveness among a sample of 475 college students. The participants completed a questionnaire packet that includes Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Heartland Forgiveness Scale, and Subjective Well-Being Scale. Results revealed that self-esteem, interpersonal forgiveness, and self-forgiveness were all significantly correlated with subjective well-being. Bootstrap results indicated that both interpersonal forgiveness and self-forgiveness partially mediated self-esteem to subjective well-being. Structural equation modeling analysis also revealed significant paths from self-esteem to subjective well-being through both interpersonal forgiveness and self-forgiveness.     

A Transdiagnostic Multilevel Examination of Interoceptive Processing in Individuals With a Remote History of Suicidal Behavior

A developing area of research suggests that there may be a relationship between interoception and suicidal behavior. For example, it was recently reported that individuals who made a suicide attempt within the previous 5 years exhibit behavioral and neural abnormalities across multiple domains of interoception relative to nonattempters. This included increased tolerance for aversive sensations of pain and dyspnea, reduced heartbeat-perception accuracy, and blunted insula activity during attention to cardiac sensations. However, the degree to which interoceptive deficits persist following a suicidal attempt is unknown. In the current study, we examined differences between individuals with a remote history of suicide attempts (greater than 5 years ago; N = 56) versus those with no history of attempts (N = 240). We found that remote suicide attempters demonstrated greater pain tolerance and lower ratings of stress during a cold-pressor challenge and lower ratings of suffocation during a breath-hold challenge, as compared to nonattempters. In contrast, there were no group differences in breath-hold duration, interoceptive accuracy on a heartbeat-tapping task, or insula activation during cardiac attention. An exploratory resting-state functional connectivity analysis of individuals with suicide attempts in the past 5 years (N = 23), individuals with more remote histories of suicide attempts (N = 39), and nonattempters (N = 232) revealed preliminary and subtle evidence of differences in insula connectivity with areas of the temporal cortex in remote suicide attempters. Taken together, these findings suggest that blunted affective responses to aversive interoceptive sensations is an enduring characteristic of suicide attempters, even when assessed many years after a suicide attempt, whereas differences in the experience of nonaversive interoceptive sensations may be less persistent.     

Trajectories of change in dimensions of forgiveness among older adults and their association with religious commitment

Forgiveness is a complex construct with an important role in religious traditions worldwide, and is associated with mental and physical health outcomes. This seven-year longitudinal study examined changes within individuals during, and differences based on birth cohort, in forgiveness during late life. Growth curve analysis was used to analyse the general pattern of change across the course of older adulthood in eight dimensions related to forgiveness. Increases over time were observed in forgiveness of others, conditionality of forgiveness of others, forgiveness of self, feelings of being forgiven by God, and feelings of being forgiven by others. Decreases over time were observed in difficulty forgiving oneself, and perceptions of conditionality in God's forgiveness. Religious commitment was related to reporting more a more forgiving attitude on seven of these dimensions, but also to more perceived conditionality in God's forgiveness. Finally, differences in mean levels of forgiveness emerged between birth cohorts.     

Evaluating the effectiveness of a community-based forgiveness campaign

Abstract

Forgiveness interventions have been employed in individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy. Few attempts have been made to deliver forgiveness interventions via community-based campaigns. In the current field study, we administered a community-based forgiveness campaign to an entire university campus. A quasi-experimental design was used in which multiple pre-tests were compared to post-test scores on a psychometrically sound measure of forgiveness as well as single items assessing forgiveness, love, and conflict across students’ relationships with others in the community (i.e. friends, roommates, teachers, and parents). Multilevel models were specified to compare repeated scores from the baseline phase to post-intervention phase scores. Findings indicated that community-based approaches are a viable method of promoting forgiveness that may serve as a less intense but more easily disseminated and less costly approach to promoting forgiveness than traditional modalities of psychological treatment. Implications for future empirical investigation and clinical application are discussed.     

The Influence of Forgiveness on Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Transgender, and Questioning Individuals’ Shame and Self‐Esteem

This survey research examined relationships among self‐esteem, shame proneness, and forgiveness of self, situations, and others in a sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals (N= 657). Findings indicate that LGBTQ self‐esteem was largely predicted by higher self‐forgiveness and lower shame proneness. Forgiveness of self, others, and situations each partially mediated the relationship between shame proneness and self‐esteem. Implications for counseling include the importance of forgiveness as a psychological mechanism to reduce LGBTQ shame and enhance self‐esteem.     

Group‐level effects of forgiveness: Group cohesiveness and collective action in social dilemmas

Forgiveness research has predominately focused on individual/relational outcomes such as well‐being and closeness. Less research has examined group outcomes such as cohesiveness or collective action. Forgiveness studies have also emphasized the victim's or transgressor's perspective, neglecting the effects of forgiveness on ingroup members who have neither given nor received forgiveness. We theorize that forgiveness promotes collective action among ingroup members through group cohesiveness and that transgressors' apologetic reactions impact this process. In a laboratory experiment, 229 students (175 females) were led to believe they were in a social dilemma with three others. Some participants witnessed group members forgive an apologetic, obstinate, or neutral defector, whereas others witnessed an unforgiving response. Forgiveness of apologetic and neutral defectors increased later cooperation among ingroup members. This effect was generally mediated by group cohesiveness. Our findings suggest that forgiveness can impact cooperation on a group level, providing a path to successful resolutions to collective action problems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Forgiveness and Religious Faith in Roman Catholic Married Couples

Roman Catholic couples (130 couples, ages 24–84), at three churches in a suburban town in the southern U.S., completed a section of the Family Forgiveness Scale and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. The factor structure and loadings of forgiveness items differed from those previously reported. Levels of faith and forgiveness were similar between husbands and wives. Faith was correlated with most forgiveness dimensions, and faith and some aspects of forgiveness were related to duration of marriage.     

Clarifying the Relationship of Dissociative Experiences to Suicide Ideation and Attempts: A Multimethod Examination in Two Samples

Fears of pain, injury, and death may represent key barriers to acting on suicidal thoughts. Dissociation, which involves a disconnection from one’s body, may reduce fears and sensations of pain associated with harming the body, in turn facilitating suicide attempts. This study examined whether dissociation differentiated individuals with a history of suicide attempts from those with a history of suicide ideation, and investigated whether other relevant constructs explain this relationship. Sample 1 included 754 undergraduates (M_age = 21, 79% female) who completed a battery of self-report measures. Sample 2 included 247 undergraduates (M_age = 19, 74% female) who completed a self-report measure of dissociation, a clinical interview regarding suicide history, and four counterbalanced behavioral pain tolerance tasks. In both samples, dissociation was elevated in lifetime attempters compared to ideators (d = 0.28; d = 0.46; ps = 0.01) and slightly elevated in lifetime ideators compared to nonsuicidal individuals (d = 0.19, p = .02; d = 0.24, p = .47), though this effect was non-significant in the latter sample. In Sample 1, dissociation no longer differentiated attempters from ideators after controlling for clinical covariates. In Sample 2, dissociation was unrelated to behavioral pain tolerance tasks, and these tasks did not account for the association between dissociation and attempts. Overall, dissociation differentiated individuals with a history of suicide attempts from those with ideation alone in both samples. Pain tolerance did not explain this association; instead, it is possible that the relationship of dissociation to suicide attempts is due to “third variables” associated with both phenomena, such as symptoms of borderline personality disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder.     

Forgiveness in relation to attachment style and consanguine marriage in Iranian married individuals

The aim of this study was to compare forgiveness in secure and insecure Iranian married couples. Whether marriage had occurred within the family (consanguine) or not (non-consanguine) was also considered. 400 married participants completed the Family Forgiveness Scale and the Adult Attachment Questionnaire. Analysis of reported forgiveness within the marital family showed that, although there was no significant difference between secure and insecure participants in overall forgiveness, secure participants rated "reparation" and "resolution" higher, whereas insecure participants rated "realization" and "recognition" higher. Comparing the experience of forgiveness in the family of origin, securely attached couples not only reported significantly more overall forgiveness but reported more "realization" and "resolution" while forgiving. Some interesting sex differences were also found, as individuals in consanguine vs non-consanguine couples differed in mean "recognition" in the forgiveness process.     

大学生主观幸福感与宽恕心理的现状及关系研究

采用主观幸福感问卷和Hearland宽恕量表对237名大学生进行问卷调查,综合探讨大学生主观幸福感与宽恕心理的现状及关系。研究发现：（1）大学生的主观幸福感总体处于中等水平,女生的生活满意度显著高于男生;不同年级大学生在生活满意度和主观幸福感出现显著差异。（2）大学生宽恕心理略高于中等水平,性别间无显著性差异。（3）大学生主观幸福感与宽恕心理呈正相关,女生主观幸福感与宽恕心理的相关显著高于男生。     

Psychology in the Service of the School by M. F. Cleugh

Abstract

Forgiveness intervention has been shown to be effective in dealing with problems caused by interpersonal hurt. Problems caused by courtship hurt could also be resolved by this approach. This paper describes the theoretical foundations and application of a group forgiveness treatment program which reflected some elements of collectivist Chinese culture positivity for individuals hurt in romantic relationships. Thirty-one female students from a Chinese university were randomly assigned to three groups (forgiveness group, general group, and control group). They completed a Scale of Courtship Forgiveness, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Index of Well-Being &; Index of General Affect at entry (baseline), at the end of treatment, and at a four-week follow-up. Compared with the control group, clients both from forgiveness and general groups showed significant improvement in anxiety, depression, and well-being at the end of treatment, but only the forgiveness group showed significant improvement in courtship forgiveness. Further, the effectiveness of treatment for the forgiveness group lasted longer than for the general group. The findings suggest that the forgiveness treatment can be beneficial for college students hurt in romantic relationship.     

Relationship Quality as Mediator of Forgiveness and Psychological Well-being among Transgressors in Romantic Relationships

Romantic relationships often blossom in college life. But relationships are not always a bed of roses. One may find themselves to be inflicting hurt towards their partner. The study aimed to explore the role of positive and negative relationship quality as the mediators of forgiveness (seeking and self) and psychological well-being in romantic relationships from the perspective of the transgressors. Data were collected from a sample of 119 college students in New Delhi, India, who have been in a romantic relationship for 6 months at least and who have hurt their partner in the past. They were administered the Seeking Forgiveness Questionnaire, Heartland Forgiveness Scale (self), Positive–Negative Relationship Quality Questionnaire and the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being. The results showed positive relationship quality to be a mediator between forgiveness (seeking and self) and psychological well-being. Additional support for this relationship was provided by the insignificant role of negative relationship quality between forgiveness (seeking and self) and psychological well-being.     

Body Investment as a Protective Factor in the Relationship Between Acquired Capability for Suicide and Suicide Attempts

Acquired capability for suicide is associated with increased suicide risk and behaviors, but little research has examined factors that may qualify this relationship. Body investment is proposed as one such factor, as it may engage self-preservation instincts and serve as a buffer to capability for suicide. It was expected that facets of body investment (body feelings, body care, comfort with touch, and body protection) would moderate the relationship between acquired capability for suicide and suicide attempts. The current study included a sample of 1,150 undergraduate students with a mean age of 19.74 (3.44). The majority of the sample identified as female (71%) and White/Caucasian (78%). Participants completed self-report measures of body investment (Body Investment Scale [BIS]), acquired capability (Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale [ACSS]), suicide thoughts and attempt history (Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire [SHBQ]), and demographic information. Four moderation analyses were run using the PROCESS macro; one for each body investment subscale. All facets of body investment showed significant moderation except for body care. Acquired capability was significantly associated with suicide attempts when body feelings, comfort with touch, and body protection were low, but not when they were high. Results indicate that fostering aspects of body investment may be important for suicide prevention.