Forgiveness, Anger, and Emotional Support among University-going Students in Bangladesh

Authors

MD. Rasel Rana

University of Dhaka (Bangladesh)

Article Information

DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS.2025.1010000094

Subject Category: Psychology

Volume/Issue: 10/10 | Page No: 1107-1115

Publication Timeline

Submitted: 2025-10-10

Accepted: 2025-10-15

Published: 2025-11-10

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of anger level and emotional support on the forgiveness of university students in Bangladesh. To achieve this end, 157 university-going students were selected as the sample. There were 85 males and 72 females. The Bangla version of the Anger and Emotional Support scale (AAS), the Bangla version of the Level of Anger scale (LAS), and the Bangla version of the Tendency to Forgive scale (TTFS) were used for data collection. Independent sample t-test, Pearson product-moment correlations, and multiple regression were carried out to see the relationship between emotional support and the level of anger with the tendency to forgive. No significant difference was found between males and females for the three variables. Correlational analysis indicated that the correlation of forgiveness with emotional support was positively significant, and with the level of anger was negatively significant. Again, multiple regressions indicated that both anger and emotional support can influence the tendency to forgive in life, but the level of anger had a more significant effect. Mediation Analysis suggested that emotional support partially mediates the relationship between anger and forgiveness

Keywords

Anger, Emotional Support, Forgiveness

Downloads

References

1. Adrian, M., Zeman, J., Erdley, C., Lisa, L., & Sim, L. (2011). Emotional dysregulation and interpersonal difficulties as risk factors for nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescent girls. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39, 389–400. doi 10.1007/s10802-010-9465-3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Archer, J. (2004). Sex differences in aggression in real-world settings: A meta-analytic review. Review of General Psychology, 8(4), 291–322. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.8.4.291 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Averill, J.R. (1983). Studies on anger and aggression: Implications for theories of emotion. American Psychologist, 38(11), 1145-1160. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.38.11.1145 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Barber, L., Maltby, J., & Macaskill, A. (2005). Angry memories and thoughts of revenge: The relationship between forgiveness and anger rumination. Individual and Personality Differences, 39(2), 253-262. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Breslau, N., Davis, G. C., Andreski, P., & Peterson, E. (1995). Traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder in an urban population of young adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52(12), 1048–1050. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.1995.03950240066012 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Chiaramello, S., Sastre, M. T. M., & Mullet, E. (2008). Seeking forgiveness: Factor structure, and relationships with personality and forgivingness. Personality and Individual Differences, 45(5), 383–388. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Cohen, S. & Wills, T.A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310-357. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Cohen, S. (1988). Psychological models of social support in the etiology of physical disease. Health Psychology, 7(3), 269-297. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Cooley-Quille, M., Boyd, R.C., Frantz, E., & Walsh, J. (2001). The emotional and behavioral impact of exposure to community violence in inner-city adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 30(1), 199–206. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Cutrona, C. E. (1996). Social support in couples: Marriage as a resource in times of stress. Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Dahl, R.E. (2004). Adolescent brain development: A period of vulnerabilities and opportunities. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1021(1), 1-22. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Deffenbacher, J. L., Oetting, E. R., Lynch, R. S., & Morris, C. D. (1996). The expression of anger and its consequences. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 34(7), 575–590. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(96)00018-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Enright, R. D., & the Human Development Study Group. (1989). Forgiveness as a developmental process. Journal of Moral Education, 18(3), 195–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305724890180302 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Enright, R. D., & Fitzgibbons, R. P. (2000). Helping clients forgive: An empirical guide for resolving anger and restoring hope. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Fitzgibbons, R.P. (1986). The cognitive and emotive uses of forgiveness in the treatment of anger. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice and Training, 23(4), 629-633. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Freedman, S.R., & Enright, R.D. (1996). Forgiveness as an intervention goal with incest survivors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(5), 983-992. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Gad, M.T., & Johnson, J.H. (1980). Correlates of adolescent life stress as related to race, SES, and levels of perceived social support. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 9(1), 13-16. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Gassin, E.A., Enright, R.D., & Knutson, J.A. (2005). Bringing peace to the central city: Forgiveness education in Milwaukee. Theory into Practice, 44(4), 319-328. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Gross, J.J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review. Review of General Psychology, 2, (5), 271-299. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Hall Julie H, Fincham Frank D, FD The Temporal Course of Self-Forgiveness. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 2008;27: 174–202. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Hansen, M.J., Enright, R.D., Baskin, T.W., & Klatt, J. (2009). A palliative care intervention in forgiveness therapy for elderly terminally ill cancer patients. Journal of Palliative Care, 25(1), pp. 51-60. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Hessler, D.M., & Katz, L.F. (2010). Brief report: Associations between emotional competence and adolescent risky behavior. Journal of Adolescence, 33(1), 241-246. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Hoyt, W. T., Fincham, F. D., McCullough, M. E., Maio, G. R., & Davila, J. (2005). Forgivingness, forgivability, and relationship specific effects in responses to interpersonal transgressions in families. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(3), 375–394. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Kemp, S., & Strongman, K.T. (1995). Anger theory and management: A historical analysis. The American Journal of Psychology, 108(3), 397-417. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Konstam, V., Chernoff, M., & Deveney, S. (2003). Toward forgiveness: The role of shame, guilt, anger, and empathy. Counseling and Values, 47(1), 26–39. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Lawler-Row, K. A., & Piferi, R. L. (2006). The forgiving personality: Describing a life well lived? Personality and Individual Differences, 41(6), 1009–1020. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. McCullough, M. E., Worthington, E. L., & Rachal, K. C. (1997). Interpersonal forgiving in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(2), 321–336. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. McCullough, M. E., Rachal, K. C., Sandage, S. J., Worthington, E. L., Brown, S. W., & Hight, T. L. (1998). Interpersonal forgiving in close relationships: II. Theoretical elaboration and empirical extension. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(6), 1586. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Miller, A. J., Worthington, E. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2008). Gender and forgiveness: A meta–analytic review and research agenda. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 27(8), 843–876. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. North, J. (1987). Wrongdoing and forgiveness. Philosophy, 62(242), 499–508. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003181910003905X [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Reed, G.L., & Enright, R.D. (2006). The effects of forgiveness therapy on depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress for women after spousal emotional abuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(5), 920-929. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Rew, L. (2007). What’s so special about adolescence? Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 28, 3–5. doi: 10.1080/01612840600996109 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Rohde Brown, J., & Rudestam, K. E. (2011). The role of forgiveness in divorce adjustment and the impact of affect. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 52(2), 109–124. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Seybold, K.S., Hill, P.C., Neumann, J.K., & Chi, D.S. (2001). Physiological and psychological correlates of forgiveness. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 20(3), 250-259. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Sim, L., & Zeman, J. (2006). The contribution of emotion regulation to body dissatisfaction and disorder eating in early adolescent girls. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(2), 207-216. doi: 10.1007/s10964-005-9003-8. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Sukhodolsky, D. G., Golub, A., & Cromwell, E. N. (2001). Development and validation of the Anger [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Rumination Scale. Personality and Individual Differences, 31(5), 689–700. o [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Tavris, C. (1989). Anger: The misunderstood emotion (Rev. ed.).Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Thompson, R.A. (1994). Emotion regulation: A theme in search of definition. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 59(2/3), 25-52. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Toussaint, L., Shields, G. S., & Slavich, G. M. (2016). Forgiveness, stress, and health: A 5-week dynamic parallel process study. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 50(5), 674–685. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Wilson, T., Milosevic, A., Carroll, M., Hart, K., & Hibbard, S. (2008). Physical health status about self-forgiveness and other-forgiveness in healthy college students. Journal of Health Psychology, 13(6), 798-803. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Worthington, E.L., & Scherer, M. (2004). Forgiveness is an emotion-focused coping strategy that can reduce health risks and promote health resilience: Theory, review, and hypotheses. Psychology & Health, 19(3), 385-405. doi:10.1080/0887044042000196674. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

Metrics

Views & Downloads

Similar Articles