Dispositional forgiveness and adult attachment styles

A PERSON'S CAPACITY FOR FORGIVENESS may be associated with both mental and physical health (Berry & Worthington, 2001; Enright & Fitzgibbons, 2000; Maltby, Macaskill, & Day, 2001; Witvliet, Ludwig, & Vander Laan, 2001). Yet researchers' understanding of the dynamics of forgiveness remains largely unclear (Brown, 2003; Worthington, 1998). McCullough, Pargament, and Thoresen (2000) highlighted a fundamentally psychosocial element in forgiveness, defining it as "intraindividual, prosocial change toward a perceived transgressor that is situated within a specific interpersonal context" (p. 9). Other researchers have noted the possibility of developmental influences in the capacity to forgive, and some researchers have begun examining developmental variables in forgiveness (for a review, see Mullet & Girard, 2000). Attachment research may prove a fruitful venue for this investigation of forgiveness, because previous research has indicated the possibility that attachment style reflects the ability to regulate Copyright © 2006 Heldref Publications.