Intergroup Forgiveness of Race-Related Offenses

• Published in: Journal of counseling psychology 2015-07, Vol.62 (3), p.402-412
• Main Authors: Davis, Don E., DeBlaere, Cirleen, Hook, Joshua N., Burnette, Jeni, Van Tongeren, Daryl R., Rice, Kenneth G., Worthington, Everett L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aggressiveness; College Students; Conflict; Construct Validity; Continental Population Groups - ethnology; Continental Population Groups - psychology; Correlation analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cultural identity; Ethnic Groups - ethnology; Ethnic Groups - psychology; Ethnicity; Evidence; Factor Structure; Female; Forgiveness; Group therapy; Human; Humans; Intergroup Dynamics; Interpersonal Interaction; Interpersonal Relations; Justice; Male; Middle Aged; Predictive Validity; Quantitative psychology; Race relations; Race Relations - psychology; Racial Identification; Racism; Rating Scales; Religion; Religion & psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Test Construction; Test Validity; Validity; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0022-0167; 1939-2168
• DOI: 10.1037/cou0000081

We developed a new intergroup forgiveness measure in the context of identity-related offenses, with a focus on racial conflicts. In Study 1 (N = 384), we adapted a widely used measure of interpersonal forgiveness to develop the Group Forgiveness Scale (GFS) within the context of an identity-related offense. In Study 2, we replicated the 3-factor structure of the GFS (i.e., Avoidance, Revenge, Decision to Forgive) and examined evidence for its construct validity in a sample of African American/Black university students (N = 225). As evidence of convergent validity, intergroup forgiveness correlated with appraising greater relationship value as well as appraising lower likelihood of being exploited in the future. As evidence of discriminant validity, the newly developed intergroup forgiveness scale (i.e., the GFS) correlated only moderately with interpersonal forgiveness and perceived microaggressions. In Study 3, in another sample of racial/ethnic minority individuals (N = 352), we examined the predictive validity of the scale. More specifically, we examined relations of the GFS subscales with religious commitment and racial/ethnic identity. The Decision to Forgive subscale uniquely correlated with religious commitment controlling for the Avoidance and Revenge subscales. Lower revenge correlated with stronger racial/ethnic identity. We conclude with implications of the current findings for the development of intergroup forgiveness measurement and for understanding the nature of forgiveness within marginalized groups.