University of Kentucky

The Role of Individual Differences and Forgiveness in Women Who Have Been Victimized

Institution

University of Kentucky

Abstract

The present study assesses how individual differences may modulate the role of forgiveness in women who have been victimized in the past, in hopes of decreasing levels of negative affect and finding differences in cognitive coping strategies. The major purpose of this study is to replicate a previous study by Witvliet et al. using a sample of women who have reported being victimized in the past. The present study will assess if focusing on either interpersonal (more traditional view of forgiveness, willingness to show compassion for the perpetrator) or intrapsychic (no longer holding a grudge or ruminating about the hurtful event) aspects of forgiveness affect the level of distress and negative affect revealed by victimized women, and whether the women’s responses differ according to their level of optimism. Participants included 120 women enrolled in an introductory psychology class at the University of Kentucky. Inclusion criteria for the participants were previous experiences with victimization. Women who were currently being counseled by a professional were excluded. Screening measures were administered to the psychology students at the beginning of the semester. Women who scored high on a measure of victimization were recruited for the present study; they received class credit for their participation. In the study, participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. In the Letting Go condition, participants were instructed via audiotape to stop ruminating about the event and let it go. In the Forgiveness condition, participants were instructed to forgive the perpetrator. Lastly, the control condition consisted of relaxation techniques. After listening to the tapes, participants then wrote narratives about their victimization. The results of the study should offer valuable insights into which type of forgiveness is the best component in designing interventions in the future.

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The Role of Individual Differences and Forgiveness in Women Who Have Been Victimized

The present study assesses how individual differences may modulate the role of forgiveness in women who have been victimized in the past, in hopes of decreasing levels of negative affect and finding differences in cognitive coping strategies. The major purpose of this study is to replicate a previous study by Witvliet et al. using a sample of women who have reported being victimized in the past. The present study will assess if focusing on either interpersonal (more traditional view of forgiveness, willingness to show compassion for the perpetrator) or intrapsychic (no longer holding a grudge or ruminating about the hurtful event) aspects of forgiveness affect the level of distress and negative affect revealed by victimized women, and whether the women’s responses differ according to their level of optimism. Participants included 120 women enrolled in an introductory psychology class at the University of Kentucky. Inclusion criteria for the participants were previous experiences with victimization. Women who were currently being counseled by a professional were excluded. Screening measures were administered to the psychology students at the beginning of the semester. Women who scored high on a measure of victimization were recruited for the present study; they received class credit for their participation. In the study, participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. In the Letting Go condition, participants were instructed via audiotape to stop ruminating about the event and let it go. In the Forgiveness condition, participants were instructed to forgive the perpetrator. Lastly, the control condition consisted of relaxation techniques. After listening to the tapes, participants then wrote narratives about their victimization. The results of the study should offer valuable insights into which type of forgiveness is the best component in designing interventions in the future.