Negative internal causal attributions of a specific offense and forgiveness
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2015
Publication Source
Personal Relationships
Volume Number
22
Issue Number
3
First Page
449
Last Page
459
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
ISSN
1350-4126
Abstract
Causal attributions are important social-cognitive predictors of forgiveness. This article presents the Transgression Attribution Questionnaire (TAQ), a measure of one's negative internal causal attributions of a specific offense. In 4 studies, scores on the TAQ showed initial evidence of estimated internal consistency, temporal stability, and construct validity. Negative internal attributions for the cause of a transgression predicted lower levels of empathy and forgiveness. Furthermore, scores on the TAQ predicted forgiveness over and above the hurtfulness of the offense, relationship commitment, and a general measure of internal causal attributions in relationships. The current research bridges research on internal causal attributions and forgiveness. Implications for the social-cognitive study of forgiveness and the measurement of causal attributions are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Hook, Joshua N., Marciana J. Ramos, Everett L. Worthington, Shawn O. Utsey, Anthony E. Coy, Don E. Davis, Daryl R. Van Tongeren, Aubrey L. Gartner, David J. Jennings, and Al Dueck. “Negative Internal Causal Attributions of a Specific Offense and Forgiveness.” Personal Relationships 22, no. 3 (September 1, 2015): 449–59. doi:10.1111/pere.12089.
