The Propensity to Forgive and Self-Esteem in Catholic and Islamic Contexts: Italy and Turkey

ABSTRACT

This study explores the relationship between the propensity to forgive and self-esteem in Italian (Christian tradition) and Turkish (Islamic tradition) samples. Italian and Turkish versions of the Heartland Forgiveness scale (HFS) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) were used. The sample consisted of 837 university students aged 18–35 (49% women and 51% men). Correlation analysis, for the total sample and for Italian and turkish students separately, and 2-way between groups ANOVA were used to examine the association between self-esteem and forgiveness and main effects and interactions of country and gender as they relate to HFS and RSES scores. Post-hoc analyses were performed where appropriate. The results revealed that self-esteem correlated strongly with self-forgiveness and forgiveness of situations; however, we found no significant relationship between forgiveness of others and self-esteem. Further, Italian and Turkish respondents did not differ in their levels of self-esteem or in their levels of self-forgiveness, but we found that Italian students have a higher propensity to forgive others and situations than Turkish students. Future research will need to explore how other religious traditions are linked to the propensity to forgive, as well as the relationship between self-esteem and propensity to forgive in other countries, including participants of different ages.

KEYWORDS:

• Forgiveness
• self-esteem
• gender
• religious traditions

Compliance with Ethical Standards

All procedures performed in the current research including human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

The authors have no funding to disclose.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cristina Cabras

Cristina Cabras is Associate Professor in Social Psychology at the Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari (Italy). Her main research domains are focused on cross-cultural psychology and gender studies. In particular her recent research is addressed to study the relationship between propensity to forgive, different cultures, religiousness; and the victimization process related to age and gender. She is currently the director of the Bachelor and the Master Degrees in Psychology.

Çağla Girgin Buyukbayraktar

Çağla Girgin Buyukbayraktar is Associate Professor in Psychological Counseling and Guidance at the Department of Social Work, Selcuk University Beysehir Ali Akkanat Applied Sciences School (Turkey). Her main research domains are focused on family counselling, play therapy, cross-cultural psychology and positive psychology topics. She is currently the head of the Social Work Department.

Giorgia Loi

Giorgia Loi, MD in Psychology. She is a Social Psychologist, and she works in the psychosocial health domain. Her research interests are represented by forgiveness in adolescents and adults, and health psychology.

Cristina Sechi

Cristina Sechi, PhD, is Assistant Professor in Dynamic Psychology at the Department of Pedagogy, Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Cagliari. Her research interests include psychopathology, and empirical connections between forgiveness, mental health, and well-being.