Development and validation of a scale measuring willingness to forgive.

Abstract

Long studied within the realm of religion and philosophy, forgiveness recently has emerged as an area of study within psychology, and research has burgeoned in the last decade. Early attempts to measure forgiveness suffered from a lack of clearly operationalized variables and improper use of statistical methods. Recent work has defined forgiveness in terms of transgression-related interpersonal motivations, but the measurement of attitudes about revenge and avoidance has lacked contexts in which forgiveness may be desirable. A measure of willingness to forgive may provide therapists with a tool to assess how a person is predisposed to releasing resentments toward others. The only published example of a measure of willingness to forgive lacked research to demonstrate its validity and reliability. This dissertation describes the development of a highly reliable 16-item scenario-based Willingness to Forgive scale. Discriminant and construct-related validity are examined, and future directions for research are discussed.