Forgiveness and Health: Scientific Evidence and Theories Relating Forgiveness to Better Health

303 Pages·2015·3.009 MB·English

by  Loren Toussaint, Everett Worthington, David R. Williams (eds.)

Loren L. Toussaint
Everett L. Worthington, Jr.
David R. Williams
Editors
Forgiveness
and Health
Scientifi c Evidence and Theories
Relating Forgiveness to Better Health
Forgiveness and Health

Loren L. Toussaint • Everett L. Worthington, Jr.
David R. Williams
Editors
Forgiveness and Health
Scientific Evidence and Theories Relating
Forgiveness to Better Health
123
Editors
LorenL.Toussaint EverettL.Worthington,Jr.
DepartmentofPsychology DepartmentofPsychology
LutherCollege VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity
Decorah,IA,USA Richmond,VA,USA
DavidR.Williams
HarvardT.H.ChanSchoolofPublicHealth
Boston,MA,USA
ISBN978-94-017-9992-8 ISBN978-94-017-9993-5 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-94-017-9993-5
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2015946988
SpringerDordrechtHeidelbergNewYorkLondon
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Endorsements
Theworldbeingwhatitis,thereisnoshortageofcircumstanceswheretheworstof
humanbehaviorsprovidestheopportunityforoneofthebest,namely,forgiveness.
Philosophershavelongwrestledwiththequestionofwhetherforgivenessisbetter
fortheforgiverortheforgivee.Remarkably,thisquestionhasbecomeasubjectof
carefulscientificresearchinrecentyears,andthisexcellent,importantbookpresents
thefirstthoroughoverviewofthesubject.Naturally,theanswertothequestion“Is
forgivenessgoodforyou?”ismightycomplicated.
RobertMSapolsky
JohnA.andCynthiaFryGunn,Professor
DepartmentsofBiology,Neurosurgery,andNeurologyandNeurologicalSciences
How we experiencelife’schallengescan profoundlyaffectourwell-being.In this
outstandingbook,Toussaint,Worthington,andWilliamsopenoureyestothepower
offorgiveness,whichmaybeoneofthemostimportanttoolswehaveforreducing
diseaseandimprovinghumanhealth.Theirreviewofthesubjectisthebesttodate
andamust-readforscientists,practitioners,andlaypeoplealike.
GeorgeM.Slavich
Director,LaboratoryforStressAssessmentandResearch
CousinsCenterforPsychoneuroimmunology
UniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles
This volume contains a treasure-trove of insights into the complex relationships
between forgiveness and health. The editors have brought together a superb cast
of contributors from multiple disciplines to produce an extremely valuable and
importantwork.Thiscombinationoftheoretical,conceptual,empirical,andapplied
chapters promises to shape agendas on forgiveness and health for years to come.
v
vi Endorsements
Anyoneinterestedinthisburgeoningfieldofinquirywillwanttohavethisbookon
theirshelves.
ChristopherG.Ellison
ProfessorofSociology
Dean’sDistinguishedProfessorofSocialScience
UniversityofTexasatSanAntonio
This volume is cutting-edge. All that is currently known on forgiveness, unfor-
giveness, and health is covered between these covers. This book is a remarkable
compilation of chapters that review research findings on the relationship between
forgiveness and medical and mental health and is of great significance in this
emergingarea.
LeslieGreenberg
Professor
DepartmentofPsychology
YorkUniversity
ForgivenessandHealthisthedefinitivevolumeontheroleofforgivenessinhuman
health.Scholarly,creative,anduser-friendly,thechaptersinthisbookarelikelyto
steerthefieldformanyyearstocome.
MichaelMcCullough
Professor
DepartmentofPsychology
UniversityofMiami
This book is a comprehensive and carefully crafted resource for researchers,
teachers, students, and anyone looking to better understand the science of how
forgivenesscan improveone’shealth.Leadingcontributorsofferdeep insightand
useful recommendations about forgiveness and well-being. This book is the best
answer to date of the important question “How and why is forgiveness good for
you?”
FredericLuskin
DirectoroftheStanfordForgivenessProjects
Researchonforgivenesshasseenanexplosionofinterestandactivityoverthepast
several years. In Forgiveness and Health, Toussaint, Worthington, and Williams
have done the burgeoning field an important service by bringing together top
scholarsinthefieldtoassessthecurrentstateoftheory,measurement,andfindings
on the topic. As important, their volume provides crucial insights for helping to
guide future research efforts on forgiveness and its consequences. There is little
doubtthatForgivenessandHealthwillbeanessentialresourceforscholarsinthe
fieldforyearstocome.
Endorsements vii
MarcMusick
Professor,DepartmentofSociology
MikeHoggProfessorinLiberalArts
SeniorAssociateDean,CollegeofLiberalArts
Thisvolumesignalsacoming-of-ageofforgivenesstheory,research,andpractice.
Written by leaders in the field, the chapters in Forgiveness and Health report on
thelatestadvancesinthedefinition,theory,andmeasurementofforgiveness.Inrich
detail,theydescribehowforgivenessisfullyinterwovenintophysicalhealth,mental
health, culture, and context. The volume cements the vital role of forgiveness in
effortstounderstandandenhancehealthandwell-beingandishighlyrecommended
forresearchersandpractitionersalike.
KennethI.Pargament,Ph.D.
Professor,DepartmentofPsychology
BowlingGreenStateUniversity
This volume provides a welcome and comprehensive approach to understanding
forgiveness and its role in health. It is well known that social ties are key
determinantsof goodhealth and well-beingand that socialisolation is a risk. But
there are strains in every relationship and a need for restoration. Forgiveness is a
mechanismfortherepairofsocialrelationships–anditisavailabletoeveryone.
EllenLIdler,Ph.D.
SamuelCandlerDobbsProfessorofSociology
Director,ReligionandPublicHealthCollaborative
DepartmentofEpidemiology,RollinsSchoolofPublicHealth
EmoryUniversity
Drs. Toussaint, Worthington, and Williams are, of course, three of the leading
expertsonthetopicofforgivenessandhowitrelatesto,andimpacts,bothmental
andphysicalhealth.Consequently,itisnotsurprisingthattheyassembledatrueall-
starcollectionofauthorsinthiscomprehensivevolumeonforgiveness.Thoughthe
researchliteratureisnotasplentifulin thisarea asin otherswith longerhistories,
through examination of this book, I found it rather amazing how much work has
beendoneina relativelyshortamountoftime.Thereiscurrentlynobettersource
for a thorough survey of the work on forgiveness and health than this book. All
scholarsinterestedinthisareawillwanttohavethisvolumeontheirshelf.
KevinS.Masters,Ph.D.
ProfessorandProgramDirector,ClinicalHealthPsychology
Editor-in-Chief,AnnalsofBehavioralMedicine
Past President, Division 38 (Health Psychology) American Psychological
Association
UniversityofColoradoDenver

Contents
1 Introduction:Context,Overview,andGuidingQuestions............. 1
LorenL.Toussaint, EverettL.Worthington,Jr.,
andDavidR.Williams
PartI Definition,Measurement,andModels
2 DefiningForgiveness:HistoricalRoots,Contemporary
Research,andKeyConsiderationsforHealthOutcomes.............. 13
JerittR.Tucker, RachelL.Bitman, NathanielG.Wade,
andMarilynA.Cornish
3 AConceptualModelofForgivenessandHealth........................ 29
CarolineR.Lavelock,DanielJ.Snipes,BrandonJ.Griffin,
EverettL.Worthington,Jr.,DonE.Davis,JoshuaN.Hook,
EricG.Benotsch,andJamesRitter
4 MeasuringForgivenessinHealth-RelatedContexts.................... 43
CharlottevanOyenWitvliet, DarylR.VanTongeren,
andLindseyRootLuna
PartII Empirical Evidence of Forgiveness-Health
Connections
5 ForgivenessandPhysiologicalConcomitantsandOutcomes.......... 61
KevinT.Larkin,CarolGoulet,andCaseyCavanagh
6 ForgivenessandMentalHealth........................................... 77
BrandonJ.Griffin, EverettL.Worthington,Jr.,
CarolineR.Lavelock, NathanielG.Wade,
andWilliamT.Hoyt
7 ForgivenessandPhysicalHealthinHealthyPopulations.............. 91
AlyssaC.D.CheadleandLorenL.Toussaint
ix