Putting the Pieces Together: A Proposed Model of Unforgiveness

Abstract

Previous research and theorizing on unforgiveness has largely focused on the emotional – ruminative aspect of the phenomenon and adverse consequences to health and relationships that are associated with it. In contrast to this, my analysis of fourteen semi-structured interviews with victims of interpersonal offenses indicates that unforgiveness is a much more multi-faceted and nuanced experience. Based on participants’ responses, I identified a possible model of unforgiveness that includes the emotional – ruminative and cognitive dimensions of unforgiveness, as well as a number of components – inner conflict, barriers to forgiveness, and strategies for resolving inner conflict – that affect where a victim of an interpersonal transgression may be charted along the two dimensions. Implications for conceptualizing unforgiveness and directions for future research are discussed.