Zdolność do wybaczania i jej pomiar za pomocą polskiej adaptacji Skali Wybaczania L. L. Toussainta, D. R. Williamsa, M. A. Musicka i S. A. Everson

Edyta Charzyńska , Irena Heszen

Abstract

The article aims at presenting the conceptualization of forgiveness and the Polish version of a tool measuring multi-dimensional disposition to forgive, based on the proposal of the American researchers: Toussaint, Williams, Musick and Everson (2001). Over two last decades forgiveness has become an important concept, explored not only in the area of psychopathology (negative consequences of unforgiveness) but in positive psychology as well (benefits of forgiveness). Polish adaptation of the tool included three steps. In the first study 681 people were examined. The obtained results were used to conduct an explanatory factor analysis. The second study, which included 498 participants, was carried out to collect data for a confirmative factor analysis and for assessing psychometric properties. The third study was conducted among alcohol-dependent individuals in order to explore relationships between forgiveness and health. Three extracted factors were named: forgiveness of others, feeling forgiven by God and self-forgiveness. The structure of the original tool was not fully confirmed – we decided to remove one scale (‘seeking forgiveness’) from the scale. The results of CFA shown that the three factors loaded a latent variable, called ‘forgiveness’. Reliability and validity of the tool were both satisfactory.