1. Forgiving In the Moment
E. Waskel
D. Gentile, PhD
Iowa State University

2. Mindfulness & Forgiveness
Mindfulness- Awareness of current feelings, thoughts and sensation
Researched today in clinical therapeutic settings
Forgiveness
Forgiveness of Self
Forgiveness of Others
Forgiveness of Situations
Are those who are more naturally mindful more likely to forgive?

3. Prior Research
Webb et al. (2013) found that forgiveness of self, others and situations in health related scenarios were moderated by mindfulness.
Johns, Allen and Gordon (2015) found that certain facets of mindfulness were associated with lower levels of unforgiveness of partner infidelity
Jetter and Brannon (2017) found that young adults who were exposed to mindfulness or implementation planning techniques were more likely to seek out relational forgiveness.
In 2013 Webb and colleagues gave an online study to 368 college participants that looked at the relationship between forgiveness and mindfulness in health situations via different mindfulness and forgiveness measures. They found that forgiveness of self, others and situations in health related scenarios were moderated by mindfulness.
Johns, Allen and Gordon in 2015 gave an online questionnaire to 94 participant who who had previously been cheated on in a romantic relationship, they found that certain facts of mindfulness ( like having higher levels of describing, acting with awareness, and non judging) were associated with lower levels of unforgiveness and that those who scored higher on the mindfulness dimension of nonreacting had higher level of forgiveness.
Finally, an experimental study by Jetter and Brannon in 2017 looked at 144 young adults and what leads to them seek out or giving relational forgiveness. They found that for those who were given mindfulness or implementation planning techniques were more likely to seek out or grant relational forgiveness than those who had no intervention. It was also found that those who were in the mindfulness techniques condition had the highest probability of seeking out or granting relational forgiveness.

4. I hypothesized that there would be a positive correlation between total forgiveness and mindfulness.

5. Participants Total sample n = 583
Males n = 221 (39%), Females n = 310 (53%), unknown n = 53 (9%)
Mean age = 20 (SD = 2.77)
White n = 427 (73%), Asian/Pacific Islander n = 50 (9%), Black n = 37 (6%), Latino/a n = 21 (4%), Other n = 48 (8%)

6. Procedure
Participants were given an online survey that consisted of several personality, forgiveness and mindfulness measures
Two Sona credits were given for participating. The study was on a volunteer basis and could be completed at the participant's own convenience.

7. Measures: Mindfulness
Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (Brown & Ryan, 2003)
15 item questionnaire (α = .92)
I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until some time later.
I break or spill things because of carelessness, not paying attention, or thinking of something else.
I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present.
I tend to walk quickly to get where I’m going without paying attention to what I experience along the way.
Scale ranged from 1 (Almost Always) to 6 (Almost Never)

8. Measures: Forgiveness
Heartland Forgiveness Scale (Thompson et al., 2005)
18 item questionnaire (α = .86)
Forgiveness of Self, 6 Questions (α = .75)
Although I feel bad at first when I mess up, over time I can give myself some slack.
I hold grudges against myself for negative things I’ve done.
Forgiveness of Others, 6 Questions (α = .75)
With time I am understanding of others for the mistakes they’ve made.
I continue to be hard on others who have hurt me.
Forgiveness of Situation, 6 Questions (α = .77)
With time I can be understanding of bad circumstances in my life.
If I am disappointed by uncontrollable circumstances in my life, I continue to think negatively about them.
Scale ranged from 1 ( Almost Always False of Me) to 7 (Almost Always True of Me)

9. Results
There was a positive correlation between total forgiveness and mindfulness.
r = (492) = .22, p < .001
Correlations between forgiveness subsets:
Forgiveness of Self & Mindfulness: r = ( 514) = .18, p < .001
Forgiveness of Others & Mindfulness: r = (522) = .14, p < .001
Forgiveness of Situation & Mindfulness: r = (500) = .21 p < .001

11. Prior Research
Results congruent with prior research on mindfulness and forgiveness
Webb et al. (2013): Mindfulness as a moderator
Johns, Allen and Gordon (2015): Mindfulness and forgiveness of infidelity
Jetter and Brannon (2017): Mindfulness techniques and relational forgiveness

12. Implications
There is a slight, but significant positive relationship between mindfulness and forgiveness
Complexity of human nature
Forgiveness of Situations had highest correlation of the subsets
Forgiveness of Others had lowest correlation of the subsets
Mindfulness = Focusing on self

13. Limitations Sample Online study No causal relationship found
Limited Sample- Homogeneous, College educated
Decreased external validity
Online study
Focus & Environment
Attention Checks
No causal relationship found

14. Future Research Experimental study to determine causal relationship
Moderator?
Focus on forgiveness of self
Developing forgiveness specific mindfulness techniques

15. References
Brown, K.W. & Ryan, R.M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84,
Jeter, W. K., & Brannon, L. A. (2017). The effect of mindfulness and implementation planning on the process of granting and seeking forgiveness among young adults. Mindfulness, doi:
Johns, K. N., Allen, E. S., & Gordon, K. C. (2015). The relationship between mindfulness and forgiveness of infidelity. Mindfulness, 6(6), doi:
Thompson, L. Y., Snyder, C. R., Hoffman, L., Michael, S. T., Rasmussen, H. N., & Billings, L. S. (2005). Dispositional forgiveness of self, others, and situations. Journal of Personality, 73,
Webb, J. R., Phillips, T. D., Bumgarner, D., & Conway-Williams, E. (2013). Forgiveness, mindfulness, and health. Mindfulness, 4(3),