| The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between one's tendency toward forgiveness and several variables including negative emotional states (i.e., anger and guilt), religious faith strength, subject age, and Body Mass Index scores (BMI). The subject pool consisted of 105 undergraduate, female student volunteers from the education and nursing programs. The research variables were measured using 4 different Liken-type questionnaires including the Dissipation-Rumination Scale (Dis-Ru; Caprara, 1986) to measure tendency toward forgiveness, the Emotional Eating Scale (EES; Arnow, Kenardy, & Agras, 1995), the Guilt Inventory (GI; Kugler & Jones, 1992), and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSORF; Plante & Boccaccini, 1997a). BMI scores were calculated after obtaining the height and weight of each subject.; The relationships among tendency toward forgiveness and BMI, strength in religious faith, and subject age were investigated. No significant findings were noted. However, there were some significant correlations among other variables that were not theorized originally. Significant relationships were found between the Dis-Ru scores (i.e., assessed one's tendency toward forgiveness) and the three variables of the GI (i.e., Moral Standards, Trait Guilt, and State Guilt), and the Anger-Frustration score obtained through the EES. Trait Guilt was highly correlated with State Guilt and the Anger-Frustration Score. Moral Standards and SCSORF scores were also significantly correlated. The different BMI classifications were not noted to be significantly different from one another in terms of one's tendency toward forgiveness. The results of a stepwise multiple regression equation indicated that the GI factors of Moral Standards and Trait Guilt were statistically significant predictors of one's tendency toward forgiveness (i.e., Dis-Ru score). |
