Psychological Empowerment and Empathy as Correlates of Forgiveness

ABSTRACT: The study explores Psychological Empowerment and Empathy as Correlates of Forgiveness. The two variables are regarded to have influence on the decision one makes to forgive another. The study aimed at examining the relationships between psychological empowerment and forgiveness, empathy and forgiveness and to identify which one of the two,Psychological Empowerment or Empathy, is the more powerful predictor of forgiveness. The study took a survey design with a sample of 350 drawn from a population of university students using a self-administered questionnaire with four sections: Personal information, Psychological empowerment scale, Toronto Empathy questionnaire, and the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (HFS). Data analysis employed Pearson’s product moment correlation and regression analysis to test hypotheses. The results show significant relationships between psychological empowerment and forgiveness as well as empathy and forgiveness. Empathy was found to be the more powerful predictor of forgiveness.

KEY WORDS: Psychological empowerment, empathy, forgiveness