RELIGIOUS COMMITMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING: FORGIVENESS AS A MEDIATOR

Abstract

The present investigation examined the extent to which forgiveness acts as mediating mechanism of the associations between religious commitment and psychological well-being among Arab Muslim college students. A sample of Jordanian college students (n=209; F = 109) who selfidentified as Muslims, responded to measures of Religious Commitment (RCI), Trait Forgiveness (TFS), State Forgiveness (TRIM), Satisfaction with Life (SWLS) and Depression (CESD). Analyses revealed that each of TFS and TRIM plays a full mediating role in the relationships between RCI and each SWLS, and CESD, however, the mediation effects power of degree of self-report of a general tendency to forgive (trait) seems to be somewhat stronger than forgiveness in a specific instance (state). Moreover, results proved that trait forgiveness also mediated the positive effect of religious commitment on decreasing desire to revenge and avoid the offender. These results confirmed the past hypotheses and research that trait forgiveness acts as a strong mechanism of the salutary effect of religiosity on psychological well-being. Findings also provide evidence against the argument that studies relating religion and forgiveness relate only to dispositional forgiveness and do not translate to actual forgiving behavior.