TY - JOUR
T1 - A consensus definition of self-forgiveness
T2 - Implications for assessment and treatment
AU - Webb, Jon R.
AU - Bumgarner, David J.
AU - Conway-Williams, Elizabeth
AU - Dangel, Trever
AU - Hall, Benjamin B.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Psychological Association.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/9
Y1 - 2017/9
N2 - Although forgiveness is a broad psychological construct of increasing interest, the majority of research has focused on forgiveness of another person for a specific transgression. Independent of other dimensions of forgiveness, self-forgiveness has been significantly associated with health and well-being. Many dimensions of forgiveness share common definitional components; however, due to conceptual differences based on the self as both the offender and the offended, a distinct definition of self-forgiveness is necessary. Indeed, definition and resultant measurement-related limitations have likely slowed the progression of research on self-forgiveness, including understanding the role of self-forgiveness in the promotion of health and well-being and the role of self-forgiveness in facilitating treatment itself. A comprehensive literature review was conducted revealing 177 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles focused on the psychology of self-forgiveness. Of those 177 articles, 85 (48.02%) contained explicit definition-based information regarding self-forgiveness as a particular construct, from which 5 key distinctive definitional components were identified: reconciliation, acceptance, accountability, human-connectedness, and changecommitment. A comprehensive and accessible definition of self-forgiveness is proposed based on a consensus of the scientific peer-reviewed psychological literature. In addition, implications of a consensus definition for more effective assessment and treatment are discussed.
AB - Although forgiveness is a broad psychological construct of increasing interest, the majority of research has focused on forgiveness of another person for a specific transgression. Independent of other dimensions of forgiveness, self-forgiveness has been significantly associated with health and well-being. Many dimensions of forgiveness share common definitional components; however, due to conceptual differences based on the self as both the offender and the offended, a distinct definition of self-forgiveness is necessary. Indeed, definition and resultant measurement-related limitations have likely slowed the progression of research on self-forgiveness, including understanding the role of self-forgiveness in the promotion of health and well-being and the role of self-forgiveness in facilitating treatment itself. A comprehensive literature review was conducted revealing 177 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles focused on the psychology of self-forgiveness. Of those 177 articles, 85 (48.02%) contained explicit definition-based information regarding self-forgiveness as a particular construct, from which 5 key distinctive definitional components were identified: reconciliation, acceptance, accountability, human-connectedness, and changecommitment. A comprehensive and accessible definition of self-forgiveness is proposed based on a consensus of the scientific peer-reviewed psychological literature. In addition, implications of a consensus definition for more effective assessment and treatment are discussed.
KW - definition
KW - health
KW - self-forgiveness
KW - treatment
KW - well-being
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85032173051&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/scp0000138
DO - 10.1037/scp0000138
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85032173051
VL - 4
SP - 216
EP - 227
JO - Spirituality in Clinical Practice
JF - Spirituality in Clinical Practice
SN - 2326-4500
IS - 3
ER -