Sex, group composition, and the efficacy of group interventions to promote forgiveness.

In an extension of a prior investigation of the efficacy of group treatments to promote forgiveness, the present study examined whether participant sex and group composition predicted forgiveness-related outcomes. Multilevel hierarchical regression analyses were used to analyze data from 144 participants who completed a 2-week, 6-hour group intervention. Women reported significantly more decreases in the desire for revenge when compared to men. Group composition also was related to outcome, such that the more men who were in a group, the more likely women were to diminish desires for revenge and the less likely men were to cultivate empathy for their offenders. Implications and directions for future research are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Towards a feminist empowerment model of forgiveness psychotherapy.

In recent years Enright and Fitzgibbon's (2000) process model of forgiveness therapy has received substantial theoretical and empirical attention. However, both the process model of forgiveness therapy and the social-cognitive developmental model on which it is based have received criticism from feminist theorists. The current paper considers feminist criticisms of forgiveness therapy and uses a feminist lens to identify potential areas for growth. Specifically, Worell and Remer's (2003) model of synthesizing feminist ideals into existing theory was consulted, areas of bias within the forgiveness model of psychotherapy were identified, and strategies for restructuring areas of potential bias were introduced. Further, the authors consider unique aspects of forgiveness therapy that can potentially strengthen existing models of feminist therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In Search of a Common Core: A Content Analysis of Interventions to Promote Forgiveness.

This article reviews published methods for promoting forgiveness for a broad range of clinical issues. The review revealed a consensus among applied researchers regarding several broad types of interventions to promote forgiveness, namely, (a) defining forgiveness, (b) helping clients remember the hurt, (c) building empathy in clients for the perpetrator, (d) helping clients acknowledge their own past offenses, and (e) encouraging commitment to forgive the offender. Roughly half of the studies also prescribed interventions to help clients overcome unforgiveness (e.g., bitterness, vengefulness) without explicitly promoting forgiveness. Speculations about how to use forgiveness interventions in sensitive and client-supportive ways are advanced on the basis of the findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Can group interventions facilitate forgiveness of an ex-spouse? A randomized clinical trial.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of 2 versions of an 8-session forgiveness group intervention for divorced individuals. Participants (randomized, n = 192; analyzed, n = 149) were randomly assigned to a secular forgiveness condition, a religious forgiveness condition, or a no-intervention comparison condition. Measures of forgiveness and mental health were obtained at pretest, posttest, and 6-week follow-up. Participants in both intervention conditions increased significantly more than comparison participants on self-reported forgiveness of an ex-spouse and understanding of forgiveness. Participants in the secular condition showed a greater decrease in depressive symptoms than comparison participants. Intrinsic religiousness did not moderate intervention effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The road to forgiveness: A meta-analytic synthesis of its situational and dispositional correlates.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 137(2) of Psychological Bulletin (see record 2011-03899-006). In Table 2, weighted population correlations and associated standard errors and confidence intervals are incorrectly reported. In Table 3, weighted population correlations and associated confidence intervals are incorrectly reported, as well as the Q statistic for trait forgiveness. Corrected data are presented. The authors note that substantive interpretations of the results are not affected by the corrections. The median absolute value correction for the weighted population correlations in both tables is r = .01.] Forgiveness has received widespread attention among psychologists from social, personality, clinical, developmental, and organizational perspectives alike. Despite great progress, the forgiveness literature has witnessed few attempts at empirical integration. Toward this end, we meta-analyze results from 175 studies and 26,006 participants to examine the correlates of interpersonal forgiveness (i.e., forgiveness of a single offender by a single victim). A tripartite forgiveness typology is proposed, encompassing victims' (a) cognitions, (b) affect, and (c) constraints following offense, with each consisting of situational and dispositional components. We tested hypotheses with respect to 22 distinct constructs, as correlates of forgiveness, that have been measured across different fields within psychology. We also evaluated key sample and study characteristics, including gender, age, time, and methodology as main effects and moderators. Results highlight the multifaceted nature of forgiveness. Variables with particularly notable effects include intent (r? = ?.49), state empathy (r? = .51), apology (r? = .42), and state anger (r? = ?.41). Consistent with previous theory, situational constructs are shown to account for greater variance in forgiveness than victim dispositions, although within-category differences are considerable. Sample and study characteristics yielded negligible effects on forgiveness, despite previous theorizing to the contrary: The effect of gender was nonsignificant (r? = .01), and the effect of age was negligible (r? = .06). Preliminary evidence suggests that methodology may exhibit some moderating effects. Scenario methodologies led to enhanced effects for cognitions; recall methodologies led to enhanced effects for affect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Writing about the benefits of an interpersonal transgression facilitates forgiveness.

The authors examined the effects of writing about the benefits of an interpersonal transgression on forgiveness. Participants (N = 304) were randomly assigned to one of three 20-min writing tasks in which they wrote about either (a) traumatic features of the most recent interpersonal transgression they had suffered, (b) personal benefits resulting from the transgression, or (c) a control topic that was unrelated to the transgression. Participants in the benefit-finding condition became more forgiving toward their transgressors than did those in the other 2 conditions, who did not differ from each other. In part, the benefit-finding condition appeared to facilitate forgiveness by encouraging participants to engage in cognitive processing as they wrote their essays. Results suggest that benefit finding may be a unique and useful addition to efforts to help people forgive interpersonal transgressions through structured interventions. The Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory-18-Item Version (TRIM-18) is appended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A dynamic process model of forgiveness: A cross-cultural perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss cultural similarities and differences in the processes of forgiveness. Forgiveness is a complex construct without a consensual definition. Generally speaking, forgiveness is the process that involves a change in cognitions, emotions, motivations, and behaviors regarding the transgressor (R. D. Enright & R. P. Fitzgibbons, 2000). Scientific interest in forgiveness has rapidly increased in the recent years, but whether the conceptualizations and underling mechanisms of forgiveness are similar across cultures still remain unclear. A dynamic process model of forgiveness is proposed in this paper, which includes the sociocultural, cognitive, emotional, motivational, and behavioral aspects of forgiveness processes. Particular processes that are likely to differ across Eastern–Western cultures are identified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ethnic identity among Chinese Canadian youth: A review of the Canadian literature.

The process of identity development for Chinese youth growing up in a multicultural Canadian context is complex. These youth, who represent one of the largest groups of immigrants and ethnic minorities in the country, must negotiate Chinese and Canadian cultures during a developmental period marked by significant identity exploration. The authors review qualitative and quantitative investigations of the multiple components of ethnic identity, as well as quantitative studies of the relations between Chinese and Canadian identities, the acculturative and familial factors that may promote a strong sense of ethnic identity, and the psychological correlates of ethnic identity. Overall, the ethnic identity of Chinese youth residing in Canada appears strong. In comparison, greater variability is evident in the extent and ease in which Chinese youth integrated a Canadian identity. The reviewed literature supports a bidimensional conceptualization of acculturation, emphasises the important role that parents play in the formation of their children’s ethnic identity, and highlights the potential psychological advantages of strong feelings of ethnic identity. Implications of the findings for future research, policy, and practise are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Resolving attachment injuries in couples using emotionally focused therapy: Steps toward forgiveness and reconciliation.

The goal of this study was to use task analysis to verify that the attachment injury resolution model described in this article discriminates resolved from nonresolved couples. Twenty-four couples with an attachment injury received, on average, 13 sessions of emotionally focused therapy (EFT). At the end of treatment, 15 of the 24 couples were identified as resolved. Segments of best sessions for all couples were transcribed and rated on 2 process measures. Resolved couples were found to be significantly more affiliative and achieved deeper levels of experiencing than nonresolved couples. They also showed significant improvements in dyadic satisfaction and forgiveness than nonresolved couples. The results support the attachment injury resolution model and suggest that resolution during EFT is beneficial to couples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavior therapy: A review.

The questionable effectiveness of traditional psychodynamic psychotherapies and the development of brief new treatment techniques derived from modern learning theory have stimulated interest in applications of conditioning procedures to behavior disorders. A review of this literature revealed that behavior therapies have been applied to many neurotic and psychotic disorders, and have been most successful with disorders involving specific maladaptive behaviors. Conditioning procedures were highly effective with phobic reactions, anxiety reactions, enuresis, stuttering, and tics, but disappointing with alcoholism and some sexual disorders. Cures seemed long-lasting, with remarkably little evidence of the symptom substitution predicted by psychodynamic depth theories. Behavior therapy offers promising opportunities for the application of well-established psychological principles to the treatment of maladaptive behavior. (4 p. ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Executive coaching: A comprehensive review of the literature.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 60(1) of Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research (see record 2009-06606-001). The author would like to indicate that unfortunately, Peterson’s (1993) dissertation on executive coaching outcomes was excluded from the original literature review conducted by Kampa-Kokesch and Anderson (2001). Later, Kampa and White (2002) stated that Peterson’s (1993) dissertation was excluded due to the programmatic nature of the coaching conducted in the study. Specifically, it was written, “this research did not investigate executive coaching as practiced by consultants in the field,” (p. 145). However, all of the coaches in Peterson’s study were field-based PDI consultants and the individuals being coached did receive individual coaching from those consultants. In the future, Peterson’s research, which was a well-designed long-term outcome study of 370 coaching participants, should be reviewed when considering executive coaching outcomes.] Executive coaching as a consultation intervention has received increased attention in the literature within the past decade. Executive coaching has been proposed as an intervention aimed toward helping executives improve their performance and consequently the performance of the overall organization (R. R. Kilburg, 1996c). Whether or not it does what it proposes, however, remains largely unknown because of the lack of empirical studies. Some also question whether executive coaching is just another fad in the long list of fads that have occurred in consultation and business. To explore these issues and the place of executive coaching in consulting practice, this article critically examines the literature on executive coaching. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unraveling the role of forgiveness in family relationships.

Testing the idea that the process of forgiveness is intrinsically different across diverse relationships, this study examined the role of forgiveness in different family relationships. In 2 laboratory sessions 1 year apart, 114 families (each including 2 parents and 1 child) completed a new measure of family forgiveness and many individual-level, relationship-level, and family-level variables that have been previously linked with forgiveness. After validating the measure of family forgiveness in cross-sectional analyses, investigators performed longitudinal analyses to examine the role of forgiveness in each family relationship over the 1-year interval. Results indicated many important positive consequences of forgiveness on individual traits, aspects of each family relationship, and general family environment. However, there were also important asymmetries in associates of forgiveness across parent-child and parent-parent relationships, demonstrating the relationship-bound nature of forgiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Epilogue: Psychological interventions in the changing health care systems.

Psychotherapy has utility for a wide variety of circumstances that have significant economic, personal, and social consequences. This special issue is a small attempt to address some of these problems. There are important omissions, such as the frequent use of psychotropic medications in psychotherapy, psychological rehabilitation of patients and families with chronic health problems, and hospice care. The need for establishment of a national policy on how psychotherapy can be used to create more effective and humane solutions to societal problems has been identified. The challenge is how to fund the study of health and other social problems responsive to psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A value-congruent bias in the forgiveness forecasts of religious people.

Given the weak and potentially tenuous association between religiosity and actual forgiveness reported in the literature, why is it that religious people consistently predict they would forgive interpersonal offenses? Using a newly devised method for testing multiple mediator models, two studies were conducted to examine the hypothesis that religious people’s forgiveness values mediate the relationship between religiosity and forgiveness forecasts, independent of self-perceived past forgiveness tendencies. The first study focused on predicted forgiveness of hypothetical offenders, and the second examined forecasted forgiveness of those responsible for the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. In both studies, the mediating role of forgiveness values (independent of past forgiveness tendencies) was established, suggesting a value-congruent bias in religious people’s forgiveness forecasts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concepts, processes and procedures: An introduction to the special issue on integration of concrete operating procedures.

Mahrer (1989b) described integration on the basis of concrete operating procedures as one of the more promising approaches to psychotherapy integration. In an attempt to examine this integrative approach, therapists from a variety of theoretical orientations were invited to share examples of how they had integrated into their preferred therapeutic approach interventions that were originally developed outside that framework. The articles in this special section provide illustrations of integration of specific procedures into four different theoretical frameworks. Although the articles discuss the incorporation of a wide variety of different types of interventions, as a group they suggest (a) that therapist operating procedures are understood more in terms of providing resources for an active collaborating client than as creating an impact upon the client, (b) that all therapist activities including procedures aimed at achieving problem resolution instantiate the therapeutic relationship, thus blurring the distinction between working on the relationship and working on client issues, and (c) that it is both possible and valuable for therapists to be flexible and creative in integrating new procedures into their therapeutic work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Outpatient interventions for adolescent substance abuse: A quality of evidence review.

Previous reviews of outpatient interventions for adolescent substance abuse have been limited in the extent to which they considered the methodological quality of individual studies. The authors assessed 31 randomized trials of outpatient interventions for adolescent substance abuse on 14 attributes of trial quality. A quality of evidence score was calculated for each study and used to compare the evidence in support of different outpatient interventions. Across studies, frequently reported methodological attributes included presence of an active comparison condition, reporting of baseline data, use of treatment manuals, and verification of self-reported outcomes. Infrequently reported attributes included power and determination of sample size, techniques to randomize participants to condition, specification of hypotheses and primary outcomes, use of treatment adherence ratings, blind assessment, and inclusion of dropouts in the analysis. Treatment models with evidence of immediate superiority in 2 or more methodologically stronger studies included ecological family therapy, brief motivational interventions, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological interventions for arthritis pain management in adults: A meta-analysis.

Context: The psychosocial impact of arthritis can be profound. There is growing interest in psychosocial interventions for managing pain and disability in arthritis patients. Objective: This meta-analysis reports on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for arthritis pain and disability. Data Sources: Articles evaluating psychosocial interventions for arthritis were identified through Cochrane Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, and Ovid PsycINFO data sources. Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials testing the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in arthritis pain management were reviewed. Data Extraction: Twenty-seven randomized controlled trials were analyzed. Pain intensity was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included psychological, physical, and biological functioning. Data Synthesis: An overall effect size of 0.177 (95% CI = 0.256-0.094) indicated that patients receiving psychosocial interventions reported significantly lower pain than patients in control conditions (combined p = .01). Meta-analyses also supported the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for the secondary outcomes. Conclusions: These findings indicate that psychosocial interventions may have significant effects on pain and other outcomes in arthritis patients. Ample evidence for the additional benefit of such interventions over and above that of standard medical care was found. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions for bereaved persons: A comprehensive quantitative review.

Previous quantitative reviews of research on psychotherapeutic interventions for bereaved persons have yielded divergent findings and have not included many of the available controlled outcome studies. This meta-analysis summarizes results from 61 controlled studies to offer a more comprehensive integration of this literature. This review examined (a) the absolute effectiveness of bereavement interventions immediately following intervention and at follow-up assessments, (b) several of the clinically and theoretically relevant moderators of outcome, and (c) change over time among recipients of the interventions and individuals in no-intervention control groups. Overall, analyses showed that interventions had a small effect at posttreatment but no statistically significant benefit at follow-up. However, interventions that exclusively targeted grievers displaying marked difficulties adapting to loss had outcomes that compare favorably with psychotherapies for other difficulties. Other evidence suggested that the discouraging results for studies failing to screen for indications of distress could be attributed to a tendency among controls to improve naturally over time. The findings of the review underscore the importance of attending to the targeted population in the practice and study of psychotherapeutic interventions for bereaved persons. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What it takes to forgive: When and why executive functioning facilitates forgiveness.

To establish what it takes to forgive, the present research focused on the cognitive underpinnings of the forgiveness process. We conducted four studies that examined and supported the prediction that executive functioning (a set of cognitive control processes) facilitates forgiveness. First, a correlational study revealed a positive relation between executive functioning and dispositional forgiveness (Study 1). Second, a longitudinal study demonstrated that executive functioning predicts the development of forgiveness over a period of 5 weeks after the offense (Study 2). Finally, two experiments examined when and why executive functioning facilitates forgiveness. Specifically, and in line with predictions, Studies 3 and 4 showed that executive functioning facilitates forgiveness only in the case of relatively severe (as compared with mild) offenses. Furthermore, Study 4 provided evidence for a psychological mechanism underlying the relation between executive functioning and forgiveness by demonstrating the mediating role of rumination about the offense. Implications of these findings for the literature on forgiveness and the role of executive functioning in interpersonal relationships more generally are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Changing the rules: A client-directed approach to therapy.

Reviews the book, Changing the rules: A client-directed approach to therapy by Barry L. Duncan, Andrew D. Solovey, and Gregory S. Rusk (see record 1992-97964-000). The title of this book, and particularly its subtitle, convey the central message of the book. The subtitle signals to us that we may expect to find an emphasis on the client's own problem formulations as a guide to the therapist's behavior. Such an emphasis has decisive implications for the conceptual and technical framework of the authors' therapy. Two implications are especially worthy of note at the outset: first, the book aligns itself conceptually with the phenomenologically oriented models of psychotherapy. Second, the book sets forth a technology that emphasizes the collaborative and equalitarian aspects of the client-therapist relationship. The book utilizes a practice-oriented approach that documents its case through extensive presentations of verbatim therapy excerpts rather than the formal use of empirical research. The book thus stands as a clinical contribution that depends for its validity upon the cogency with which extant theory is illustrated clinically. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)