FORGIVENESS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH WELL-BEING AMONG MARRIED WOMEN IN JOINT FAMILY

Abstract

Objective: The present study was designed to explore the dimensions of forgiveness (avoidance motivation, revenge motivation, benevolence motivation) and their relationship with the components of well-being (anger, hostility, life satisfaction) among married women in joint family. Thus it was hypothesized that Avoidance Motivation and Revenge Motivation would be positively related with Anger and Hostility but would be negatively related with Life Satisfaction. Benevolence Motivation would be negatively related with Anger and Hostility but would be positively related with Life Satisfaction among married women in joint family.

Research Design: Correlational study.

Place and duration of Study:  Karachi, 2010- 2011.

Sample and Method: One hundred and twenty (N=120) married women were selected following referral sampling techniques. Their ages ranged from twenty one (21) to fifty (50) years with minimum education level of grade ten. They belonged to middle and upper-middle socioeconomic class, joint family system. After written agreement with participants, brief semi structured interview was conducted to gather information pertaining to their demographic characteristics, daily routine, problems with in-laws, recent incident of being hurt by in-law family members and their feelings and emotions associated with that incident. Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory[1], Anger and Hostility, subscales of Aggression Questionnaire[2]and Satisfaction with Life