FORGIVENESS: AN EXPLANATION FROM RELIGIOUS ATTITUDE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15580286Keywords:
Attitudes, Religiosity, Forgiveness, Revenge, PredictionAbstract
Forgiveness is a widely discussed topic in religious institutions, frequently addressed in sacred scriptures and community gatherings. In various spiritual traditions, it is presented as a fundamental moral principle and a means of evolution, suggesting an intrinsic relationship between religiosity and the predisposition to forgive. This is an empirical research study with a quantitative approach, cross-sectional design, descriptive and ex post facto in nature, with a psychometric emphasis. The non-probabilistic sample comprised 217 Brazilian participants, with a mean age of 35.18 years (SD = 11.24). Participants were recruited via social media, and upon agreeing to the Informed Consent Form, received the link to the data collection instrument. The questionnaire included the Forgiveness Scale, the Religious Attitudes Scale, and a Sociodemographic Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, enabling the execution of descriptive analyses, independent samples t-test, Pearson’s correlation (r), Fisher's r-to-z transformation, and multiple linear regression analysis (Forward Method). The results indicated that the Forgiveness factor was positively and significantly correlated with all factors of the Religious Attitudes Scale. However, Fisher’s r-to-z transformation test demonstrated that forgiveness was more strongly associated with Religious Behavior (r = 0.42; p < 0.001) than with Religious Sentiment (r = 0.32; p < 0.001) (z = -2.057; p = 0.021). In contrast, the Revenge factor showed a significant but negative correlation only with the Religious Behavior factor (r = -0.26; p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that only Religious Behavior significantly influenced the granting of forgiveness [F(1, 215) = 52.06, p < 0.001; adjusted R² = 0.19]. These findings support the literature, highlighting that religiosity directly influences prosocial behaviors, such as forgiveness, with Religious Behavior being the most influential dimension. It can be concluded, therefore, that it is not merely faith or religious sentiment that influences forgiveness, but primarily the concrete practice of religiosity in daily life. Thus, the study highlights the importance of considering religious behavior as a relevant factor in psychological and social interventions aimed at fostering forgiveness.
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