Handbook on the State of the Art in Applied Psychology

CHAPTER 10Are Forgiveness and Unforgiveness Two Extremes of the Same Continuum?: Implications for Clinical Practice

Rolando Díaz‐Loving, Rodrigo Miguel Rosales‐Sarabia, and Sofia Rivera‐Aragon

Faculty of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ciudad de México, México, Universidad de Londres, Londres

Abstract

Implicitly or explicitly, an important body of research around the globe has considered forgiveness and unforgiveness as two extremes of a continuum. Most of the definitions consider forgiveness as a phenomenon that includes a positive side (i.e., behave constructively toward the transgressor), and a negative side (i.e., inhibit relationship‐destructive responses). Consequently, various measurement scales mix up positive and negative indicators, and some even infer forgiveness from negative indicators only. However, are they really extremes of a single continuum? That is, it is the case that the closer a person gets to the positive end, the farther they get from the negative pole? In this chapter we present a review of the theological and philosophical antecedents of the study of forgiveness. Later we illustrate the continuous forgiveness‐unforgiveness paradigm through the revision of diverse definitions and psychometric scales available in the scientific literature. Then we examine this continuum in light of culture, and affect theory, from which we propose to conceptualize forgiveness and unforgiveness (or resentment) as two distinct, though related dimensions. ...