Forgiveness as a predictor of psychological well-being and aggression among young adult

Muhammad Yaseen; Zuhra Lal Bakhsh; Zalya Habeeb

doi:10.21831/jss.v21i2.94302

Authors

Muhammad Yaseen University of Turbat, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1426-3074
Zuhra Lal Bakhsh University of the Punjab, Pakistan
Zalya Habeeb University of the Punjab, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21831/jss.v21i2.94302

Keywords:

Aggression, Forgiveness, Psychological Well-Being, Young Adults

Abstract

Forgiveness is widely recognized as a psychological process that enhances emotional well-being by reducing resentment and suppressing retaliatory impulses. Rooted in empathy and cognitive reappraisal, forgiveness is believed to mitigate negative evaluations of offenders. This study examines the relationship between forgiveness, psychological well-being, and aggression among young adults at the University of Balochistan, Quetta. A correlational research design was used, and a simple random sample of 200 students (100 males and 100 females) was selected. The Heartland Forgiveness Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scale, and Aggression Scale were administered. Pearson correlations revealed a significant positive relationship between forgiveness and psychological well-being, and a significant negative relationship between forgiveness and aggression. Reliability coefficients ranged between .80 and .86, indicating strong internal consistency. Independent sample t-tests also demonstrated notable gender differences across the study variables. The findings suggest that forgiveness contributes to enhanced psychological well-being and reduced aggressive tendencies among young adults. Promoting forgiveness-related skills may help foster emotional stability, life satisfaction, and healthier interpersonal behaviors within university populations.

References

Akhtar, S., Dolan, A., & Barlow, J. (2017). Understanding the relationship between state forgiveness and psychological wellbeing: a qualitative study. Journal of Religion and Health, 56(2), 450–463. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0188-9

Arıcioglu, A. (2016). Mediating the effect of gratitude in the relationship between forgiveness and life satisfaction among university students. International Journal of Higher Education, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v5n2p275

Baskin, T. W., & Enright, R. D. (2004). Intervention studies on forgiveness: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Counseling & Development, 82(1), 79–90. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2004.tb00288.x

Berry, J. W., Worthington, E. L., Parrott, L., O’Connor, L. E., & Wade, N. G. (2001). Dispositional forgivingness: development and construct validity of the transgression narrative test of forgivingness (tntf). Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(10), 1277–1290. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672012710004

Bono, G., McCullough, M. E., & Root, L. M. (2008). Forgiveness, feeling connected to others, and well-being: two longitudinal studies. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(2), 182–195. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167207310025

Brown, D. R., Carney, J. S., Parrish, M. S., & Klem, J. L. (2013). Assessing spirituality: the relationship between spirituality and mental health. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 15(2), 107–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2013.776442

Carson, J. W., Keefe, F. J., Goli, V., Fras, A. M., Lynch, T. R., Thorp, S. R., & Buechler, J. L. (2005). Forgiveness and chronic low back pain: A preliminary study examining the relationship of forgiveness to pain, anger, and psychological distress. The Journal of Pain, 6(2), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2004.10.012

Coyle, C. T., & Enright, R. D. (1997). Forgiveness intervention with postabortion men. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65(6), 1042–1046. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.65.6.1042

Enright, R. D. (2001). Forgiveness is a choice: A step-by-step process for resolving anger and restoring hope. American Psychological Association.

Enright, R. D., Eastin, D. L., Golden, S., Sarinopoulos, I., & Freedman, S. (1991). Interpersonal forgiveness within the helping professions: An attempt to resolve differences of opinion. Counseling and Values, 36(2), 84–103. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-007X.1991.tb00966.x

Enright, R. D., & Fitzgibbons, R. P. (2015). Forgiveness therapy: An empirical guide for resolving anger and restoring hope. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14526-000

Epstein, S. (1992). Constructive thinking and mental and physical well-being . In Life Crises and Experiences of Loss in Adulthood (1st ed.). Routledge.

Fincham, F. D., & May, R. (2024). Divine forgiveness and well-being among emerging adults in the usa. Journal of Religion and Health, 63(3), 2276–2290. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01678-3

Freedman, S. R., & Enright, R. D. (1996). Forgiveness as an intervention goal with incest survivors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(5), 983–992. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.64.5.983

Friedberg, J. P., Suchday, S., & Srinivas, V. S. (2009). Relationship between forgiveness and psychological and physiological indices in cardiac patients. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 16(3), 205–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-008-9016-2

Gloria, A. M., Castellanos, J., & Orozco, V. (2005). Perceived educational barriers, cultural fit, coping responses, and psychological well-being of latina undergraduates. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 27(2), 161–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986305275097

Goodstein, J., & Aquino, K. (2010). And restorative justice for all: Redemption, forgiveness, and reintegration in organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31(4), 624–628. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.632

Gull, M., & Rana, S. A. (2013). Manifestation of forgiveness, subjective well being and quality of life. Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 23(2), 17–36.

Harris, A. H. S., Luskin, F., Norman, S. B., Standard, S., Bruning, J., Evans, S., & Thoresen, C. E. (2006). Effects of a group forgiveness intervention on forgiveness, perceived stress, and trait‐anger. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(6), 715–733. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20264

Harris, A. H. S., Thoresen, C. E., & Lopez, S. J. (2007). Integrating positive psychology into counseling: why and (when appropriate) how. Journal of Counseling & Development, 85(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2007.tb00438.x

Hebl, J., & Enright, R. D. (1993). Forgiveness as a psychotherapeutic goal with elderly females. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 30(4), 658–667.

Hernandez, D. H., Larkin, K. T., & Whited, M. C. (2009). Cardiovascular response to interpersonal provocation and mental arithmetic among high and low hostile young adult males. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 34(1), 27–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-009-9076-3

Hope, D. (1987). The healing paradox of forgiveness. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 24(2).

Ingram, R. E., & Wisnicki, K. S. (1988). Assessment of positive automatic cognition. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(6), 898–902. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.56.6.898

Kanwal, S., & Naqvi, I. (2021). Resource control strategies and aggression among university students. Journal of Behavioural Sciences, 31(1), 52–73.

Karremans, J. C., Van Lange, P. A. M., Ouwerkerk, J. W., & Kluwer, E. S. (2003). When forgiving enhances psychological well-being: The role of interpersonal commitment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(5), 1011–1026. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.5.1011

Kirkbir, F. (2020). Effect of emotional intelligence education on psychological well-being and aggression of athlete students at the karadeniz technical university. African Educational Research Journal, 8(1).

Lawler, K. A., Younger, J. W., Piferi, R. L., Jobe, R. L., Edmondson, K. A., & Jones, W. H. (2005). The unique effects of forgiveness on health: an exploration of pathways. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 28(2), 157–167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-005-3665-2

Lawler-Row, K. A. (2010). Forgiveness as a mediator of the religiosity—health relationship. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017584

Lee, Y.-R., & Enright, R. D. (2019). A meta-analysis of the association between forgiveness of others and physical health. Psychology & Health, 34(5), 626–643. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2018.1554185

Lestari, D. I., & Agung, I. M. (2016). Empati dan pemaafan pada mahasiswa fakultas psikologi uin suska riau. Jurnal Studia Insania, 4(2), 137. https://doi.org/10.18592/jsi.v4i2.1126

Liu, Q., Shono, M., & Kitamura, T. (2009). Psychological well-being, depression, and anxiety in Japanese university students. Depression and Anxiety, 26(8), E99–E105. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20455

Lundahl, B. W., Tollefson, D., Risser, H., & Lovejoy, M. C. (2008). A meta-analysis of father involvement in parent training. Research on Social Work Practice, 18(2), 97–106.

Malcom, W. M., & Greenberg, L. S. (2000). Forgiveness as a process of change in individual psychotherapy. In Forgiveness: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 179–202).

Maltby, J., Day, L., & Barber, L. (2004). Forgiveness and mental health variables: Interpreting the relationship using an adaptational-continuum model of personality and coping. Personality and Individual Differences, 37(8), 1629–1641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2004.02.017

Martin, M. M., & Rubin, R. B. (1995). A new measure of cognitive flexibility. Psychological Reports, 76(2), 623–626. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1995.76.2.623

McCullough, M. E. (2000). Forgiveness as human strength: theory, measurement, and links to well-being. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19(1), 43–55. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2000.19.1.43

McCullough, M. E., & Witvliet, C. V. (2002). The psychology of forgiveness. In Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 446–458).

Nelson, M. K. (1992). A new theory of forgiveness. Purdue University.

Orcutt, H. K. (2006). The prospective relationship of interpersonal forgiveness and psychological distress symptoms among college women. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(3), 350–361. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.3.350

Orpinas, P., & Frankowski, R. (2001). The aggression scale:: a self-report measure of aggressive behavior for young adolescents. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 21(1), 50–67.

Papazisis, G., Nicolaou, P., Tsiga, E., Christoforou, T., & Sapountzi‐Krepia, D. (2014). Religious and spiritual beliefs, self‐esteem, anxiety, and depression among nursing students. Nursing & Health Sciences, 16(2), 232–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12093

Pareek, S., Mathur, N., & Mangnani, K. (2016). Subjective and psychological well-being as related to dispositional and motivational forgiveness among adolescents. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 7, 125–128.

Rackley, J. V. (1993). The relationships of marital satisfaction, forgiveness, and religiosity . Faculty of the virginia polytechnic institute and state university.

Reeve, J. C., Nicol, K., Stiller, K., McPherson, K. M., Birch, P., Gordon, I. R., & Denehy, L. (2010). Does physiotherapy reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications following pulmonary resection via open thoracotomy? A preliminary randomised single-blind clinical trial☆. European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, 37(5), 1158–1166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejcts.2009.12.011

Rippentrop, E. A., Altmaier, E. M., Chen, J. J., Found, E. M., & Keffala, V. J. (2005). The relationship between religion/spirituality and physical health, mental health, and pain in a chronic pain population. Pain, 116(3), 311–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.2005.05.008

Roloff, M. E., & Janiszewski, C. A. (1989). Overcoming obstacles to interpersonal compliance a principle of message construction. Human Communication Research, 16(1), 33–61. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.1989.tb00204.x

Ryff, C. D. (1989a). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069–1081. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069

Ryff, C. D. (1989b). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069–1081. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069

Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1996). Psychological weil-being: meaning, measurement, and implications for psychotherapy research. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 65(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1159/000289026

Stephens, T., Dulberg, C., & Joubert, N. (1999). Mental health of the canadian population: a comprehensive analysis. Chronic Diseases in Canada, 20(3).

Stoia-Caraballo, R., Rye, M. S., Pan, W., Brown Kirschman, K. J., Lutz-Zois, C., & Lyons, A. M. (2008). Negative affect and anger rumination as mediators between forgiveness and sleep quality. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 31(6), 478–488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-008-9172-5

Thompson, L. Y., Snyder, C. R., Hoffman, L., Michael, S. T., Rasmussen, H. N., Billings, L. S., Heinze, L., Neufeld, J. E., Shorey, H. S., Roberts, J. C., & Roberts, D. E. (2005). Dispositional forgiveness of self, others, and situations. Journal of Personality, 73(2), 313–360. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00311.x

Toussaint, L., & Friedman, P. (2009). Forgiveness, gratitude, and well-being: the mediating role of affect and beliefs. Journal of Happiness Studies, 10(6), 635–654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-008-9111-8

Toussaint, L. L., Williams, D. R., Musick, M. A., & Everson-Rose, S. A. (2008). The association of forgiveness and 12-month prevalence of major depressive episode: Gender differences in a probability sample of U.S. adults. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 11(5), 485–500. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674670701564989

Toussaint, L., & Webb, J. R. (2005). Theoretical and empirical connections between forgiveness, mental health, and well-being. In Handbook of Forgiveness (1st ed.). Routledge.

Toussaint, L., Worthington, E., & Williams, D. R. (2015). Forgiveness and Health. Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9993-5

Tse, M. C., & Cheng, S.-T. (2006). Depression reduces forgiveness selectively as a function of relationship closeness and transgression. Personality and Individual Differences, 40(6), 1133–1141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2005.11.008

Tse, W. S., & Yip, T. H. J. (2009). Relationship among dispositional forgiveness of others, interpersonal adjustment and psychological well-being: Implication for interpersonal theory of depression. Personality and Individual Differences, 46(3), 365–368.

Wade, N. G., Hoyt, W. T., Kidwell, J. E. M., & Worthington, E. L. (2014). Efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions to promote forgiveness: A meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 82(1), 154–170. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035268

Witvliet, C. van O., Ludwig, T. E., & Laan, K. L. Vander. (2001). Granting forgiveness or harboring grudges: Implications for emotion, physiology, and health. Psychological Science, 12(2), 117–123. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00320

Witvliet, C. vanOyen, & Luna, L. R. (2017). Forgiveness and well-being. In Positive Psychology (pp. 131–152). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315106304-9

Woodman, T. (1991). The role of forgiveness in marital adjustment. Fuller Graduate School of Psychology.

Worthington, E. L., & Scherer, M. (2004). Forgiveness is an emotion-focused coping strategy that can reduce health risks and promote health resilience: theory, review, and hypotheses. Psychology & Health, 19(3), 385–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/0887044042000196674

Worthington, E. L., Witvliet, C. V. O., Pietrini, P., & Miller, A. J. (2007). Forgiveness, health, and well-being: A review of evidence for emotional versus decisional forgiveness, dispositional forgivingness, and reduced unforgiveness. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30(4), 291–302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-007-9105-8

Wulandari, I., & Megawati, F. E. (2020). The role of forgiveness on psychological well-being in adolescents: a review. Proceedings of the 5th ASEAN Conference on Psychology, Counselling, and Humanities (ACPCH 2019). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200120.022

Ysseldyk, R. (2005). Dispositions toward forgiveness and revenge in relation to coping styles and psychological well-being [Carleton University]. https://doi.org/10.22215/etd/2005-08007