The role of emaotional intelligence in forgiveness

Abstract

Emotional Intelligence has been shown to be the ability to adaptively perceive, understand, regulate, and harness emotions in the self and others, and that high levels of it contribute to success in important realms of life, such as education, work, and relationships. Currently there are three major conceptual models namely; the Salovey Mayer Model, the Goleman Model and the Bar-On Model that are used to define and measure emotional intelligence. In this study the Salovey-Mayer Model was used. Forgiveness is conceptualised as the juxtaposition of positive other-orientated emotions over negative emotions of unforgiveness. Several studies in the field indicated that forgiving thoughts, behaviours and cognitions are associated with indices of better mental health, whereas unforgiveness is experienced as an unpleasant emotional state, resulting in depression, anger, resentfulness, fear and poorer mental health. The aim of this study is to show the importance of emotional intelligence as a regulating skill or capacity that can be used to facilitate forgiveness. The link between emotional intelligence and forgiveness is based on this link where both these constructs are aimed at regulation of emotions with a view to improving mental health and psychological well-being. In this study a cross sectional design was implemented. The sample consisted of 221 participants (38 male and 183 female students) The following measuring instruments were used: Emotional Intelligence Scale (EI), Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory (TRIM) The Willingness to Forgive Scale (WTF), Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC), Affectometer 2 (AFM), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWL).

The results of this study indicate no significant relationship between EI and forgiveness. It seems that emotional intelligence does not play a significant role in our capacity to forgive but rather that a combination of determinants including hope, coping, resilience, constructive thinking, dispositional optimism, satisfaction with life and sense of coherence enhances our capacity to forgive transgressions against the transgressed. Most noticeably is the importance that individuals ascribe to the relationship they have with the transgressor, and the willingness to preserve such a relationship.