Forgiveness as a Mediator Between Post Divorce Cognitive Processes and Coparenting Quality
Authors: Kathryn Bonacha; Esther Salesb Affiliations: a Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA b University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
DOI: 10.1300/J087v38n01_02 Publication Frequency: 8 issues per year Published in: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, Volume 38, Issue 1 & 2 September 2002 , pages 17 - 38 Formats available: PDF (English) Also incorporating: Journal of Divorce Article Requests: Order Reprints : Request Permissions
Abstract This study investigated the mediating role of forgiveness between the predictor variables of causal attributions and offense severity judgments and the outcome variable, quality coparenting post divorce. A mailed survey sent to a sample of 585 separated/divorced parents with minor aged children who had attended a brief educational seminar resulted in a final sample of 135 respondents.
The significant negative relationship between cause attributed to the former partner (r = -.28, p < .01) and quality coparenting became nonsignificant (Beta = -.06, p = .50) when forgiveness was introduced. The results also indicated that greater forgiveness was negatively related to cause attributed to the former partner (r = -.34, p < .001) and less severe offense judgments (r = -.22, p < .01). A strong positive relationship was found between forgiveness and quality coparenting (r = .53, p < .001).
The results have implications for practice, advocacy, and education. Forgiveness represents one potentially useful focus of intervention for making a transition towards a quality coparenting relationship.
Must.Forgive.Must.Forgive.
me,34 exH,34 S,16 months S:3/31/09-left for OW started DBing 10/09 d final: sometime 10/10 current: http://www.divorcebusting.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2022856&page=1 met in 2004
