Tendency to Forgive - Essay Example

Tendency to Forgive Tendency to Forgive Hypothesis This psychology research article focuses on the tendency to forgive. In this case, the research proposes that people must always forgive in order to serve particular functions. Additionally, the study aims at understanding effects of forgiveness especially on counseling students’ effectiveness. As the thesis reflects, the aspect of forgiveness depends on the forgiveness extent in which it is intended in benefiting the offender, self, and their relationship. With this in mind, forgiveness is, therefore, a method of addressing problems. The forgiveness aspect has been linked to persistent personality aspects and improved mental and physical health outcomes Who Did the Research Study? The research was conducted on three studies on individuals who experienced transgressions in relationships that were valued. In one research study, the participants included 11 CITs from different counselor education programs. Most participants were voluntary participants. Women were the most participants and aged between 20 to 69 years. Summary The last 20 years has seen many advances in psychological forgiveness study. Nevertheless, one important question that most people fail to answer is whom do people forgive? According to studies, forgiveness remains an interpersonal process (Bellah, Bellah, & Johnson, 2003). In this case, it means that forgiveness is usually conceptualized as other loving, altruistic, compassionate and benevolent aspect to transgression. Relationship concerns have always remained integral especially in forgiveness. When forgiveness outcomes are studied, it, therefore, means that relationships quality remains invariable a focus. There is also an early theorizing distinction between reconciliation and forgiveness (Batson, Ahmed, & Tsang, 2002). The main adaptive purpose of forgiveness entails helping individuals in preserving their relationships values. An individual can also deliberate on a third focal point especially when a victim forgives. Functional Forgiveness Approach Functionality forgiveness has had a long approach throughout history. In this case, functional analysis concludes that people’s attitudes, cognitions, feelings, behaviors, and beliefs exists in order to serve specific ends. Human beings mostly differ especially in engaging with their cognitions and feelings in order to fulfill psychological functions (Bellah, Bellah, & Johnson, 2003). Therefore, forgiveness reflects human desires in doing constructive things about transgression. In reference to functional analysis approach, human beings tend to forgive in order to fulfill specific functions. Additionally, two people may forgive; however, the forgiveness might serve different functions. As demonstrated, an individual may communicate forgiveness in order to dismiss an offender of the perceived guilt. On the other hand, another person may forgive just to avoid confrontations. Forgiveness is essential for both mental and physical health. In fact, it has relations to personality type (Baskin & Enright, 2004). There is a strong relation between forgiving imagery and physiological reactivity. The imagery relates to increased skin conductance, heart rate and mean arterial pressure especially when images that are involved hold grudges. Research studies indicate that forgiveness remains associated with lower heart rate and low blood pressure levels. Alternatively, trait forgiveness is associated with increased blood pressure and lower blood pressure levels after stress. Therefore, forgiveness is a mediator of stress effects (Berry, Worthington, Parrott, O’Connor & Wade, 2001). Forgiveness is linked to completed intervention-based study of forgiveness, which associates, with forgiveness training to trait anger and significance decrease in state anger. After research review, it was concluded that the forgiveness aspect relates to less stressful marriages, positive leadership skills and personality traits which associated with effectiveness. Offender and Relationship Focus It is evident that forgiveness remains a constructive response especially to transgression. Additionally, it focuses on commensurate relationship concerning both units. Therefore, it can be presumed that a victim that focuses on a relationship or offender who wishes to communicate forms of goodwill may be alleged as non-beneficial. How the Study Was Conducted In the first study, the study was conducted through group e-mails thus via online research. Participants were given addresses for completion before being sent research acquaintances with a request to pass the email to other participants. For anonymous purposes and encourage more participant participation in the research, age and gender were the only socioeconomic data collected. 243 participants responded to the research. In the second research, approval for the research study was attained from human subject’s reviews whereby three universities were subjected to the research. In this research, participants were mostly volunteers who were recruited through an online post and intact counselor education lessons (Baskin & Enright, 2004). Questionnaires were also used whereby the participants completed various demographic questionnaire instruments. In this case, the Narrative Test of Forgivingness was used. On the other hand, IPIP measures were used in measuring personality traits. The Five-Factor personality model was also used. The SPSS 14.0 was used in analyzing the data. Findings In doing the research, three studies on individuals who experienced transgressions in relationships that were valued were conducted. The study indicated that individuals are likely to forgive for their sake and their relationships than to forgive for their offenders. In this case, relationships focus is mostly associated with increased relationship quality, benevolence and decreased avoidance and revenge. On the other hand, offender emphasis is mostly associated with no revengeful motivations. Here, self-focus relates to lower relationship closeness and avoidance. Because of transgression, self-focus relates to reduced relationships satisfaction and unforgiving responses. The research findings, therefore, show the consequences for application and theorizing forgiveness. The other research indicates that, in situations where personality factors are put under control, then forgiveness tends to contribute to a significant proportion of the adjustment in wellness especially on counseling students. Conclusion From the research, it was evident that the study related to the forgiveness aspects thus the tendency to forgive. In this case, the tendency to forgive serves various purposes especially to human beings. Additionally, wellness and forgiveness correlates in that they both control personality. The study also elaborates the fact that forgiveness is essential to both mental and physical health. In fact, it has relations to personality type. In this case, the tendency to forgive remains personal thus it depends on an individual (Baskin & Enright, 2004). Taken together, the research findings constitute a significant aspect in a potentially interesting new phase of forgiveness research. The research conceptualizes forgiveness in terms of property functionality thus better knowledge of what the aspect of forgiveness entails. The forgiveness tendency is linked to completed intervention-based study of forgiveness, which associates, with forgiveness training to trait anger and significance decrease in state anger. On the other hand, due to transgression, self-focus relates to reduced relationships satisfaction and unforgiving responses. In simple terms, the research identifies the forgiveness tendency as a significant aspect of human nature. Therefore, the research study remains important especially in human and personality nature. In fact, people must always forgive in order to serve particular functions. References Baskin, T. W., & Enright, R. D. (2004). Intervention studies on forgiveness: A meta-analysis. Journal of Counseling & Development, 82, 79–90. Batson, C. D., Ahmed, A., & Tsang, J.-A. (2002). Four motives for community involvement. Journal of Social Issues, 58, 429–445 Berry, J. W., Worthington, E. L., O’Connor, L., Parrott, L., III, & Wade, N. G. (2005). Forgivingness, vengeful rumination, and affective traits. Journal of Personality, 73, 183– 225. Bellah, C. G., Bellah, L. D., & Johnson, J. L. (2003). A look at dispositional vengefulness and the Three and Five Factor Models of personality. Individual Differences Research, 1, 6– 16. 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, 1277–1290. Read More