BARRIERS TO FORGIVENESS
Your participation is voluntary. We ask all participants to affirm informed consent by using the "CONSENT AND BEGIN STUDY" button below.
Participants may withdraw from the study at any time.
Dear Participant,
You are invited to participate in a first-of-its kind ONLINE study that investigates how people respond to hurtful events perpetrated by those close to them; specifically,
barriers people may encounter when trying to forgive people they are still close to.
This study constitutes the first research on reasons people do not forgive others and your participation in this study will assist in the development of the first scale measuring Barriers to Forgiveness.
*Note: Participation in this study is only open to individuals who can think of an unforgiven event perpetrated by a family member with whom they're still in contact or their current relationship partner. Please do not participate if you do not meet this criterion.
About this Study: There are often times in our lives when close family members or our current relationship partners hurt us or treat us unfairly. Sometimes, for some reason or other, we just aren't able to forgive these people for what they have done to us, despite the fact that we maintain regular contact with them. This study is interested in these events, and seeks to examine why we haven't been able to forgive these people close to us. I am therefore interested in participants who can think of an event in their life where a close family member or their current relationship partner has personally hurt them and they haven't been able to forgive them for it.
There are no restrictions on:
- Recency of the event- It can be something that happened long ago or something that happened very recently.
- Severity of the event- It can be something objectively severe (eg. abuse of some sort) or something relatively minor that you haven't forgiven.
The only restrictions are:
- Relationship with the individual- The person you have not forgiven has to be a family member or someone with whom you are still romantically involved. It is important that you have an ongoing relationship with this individual and maintain contact with them, whilst still not forgiving them for what they did.
- Party to the hurtful event - The unforgiven event must be something that personally happened to you, and cannot be something to which you were a third-party (eg. your friend's partner cheating on them).
This study is for research purposes only, not to make personal judgements. Please respond as honestly as possible, remembering that there are no right or wrong answers; we just want your personal opinion. Altogether, the study should take 15-25 minutes to complete (for which Psychology 1 students will receive 30 minutes online credit).
Ethical Considerations: Your privacy and confidentiality will be ensured, as no names or personal information will be recorded. Any information you provide will be used only for research, and the study will report general trends, not personal details. Any identification details you may provide will be kept separately to your survey responses. Please note for confidentiality reasons, we will be unable to provide individualised feedback. Demographic questions included in the questionnaire (age and gender) are of a general nature and are collected for statistical purposes only. Participation in this study is voluntary and participants can withdraw at any time without any penalty.
Due to the nature of the events being investigated in the study, there is the possibility that some of the questions asked may cause distress and/or discomfort. If you experience any uncomfortable memories or participation causes you any distress, please do not hesitate to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24-hour telephone counselling.
Contact Information: Should you have any questions or queries or would like to further discuss the study, please do not hesitate to contact Heather Pearce on the email address provided below. This study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. If you have any complaints or reservations regarding the ethical conduct of this study, please contact the committee coordinator Dr. Paul Delfabbro (8303 5744). Any issues you raise will be treated in confidence and investigated fully and you will be informed of the outcome.
Thank you for taking the time to read this information sheet and considering participation in this study. Your participation will be greatly appreciated.
Heather Pearce, PhD Candidate; email:
heather.pearce@adelaide.edu.au
Dr Peter Strelan, Principal Supervisor; ph: 8303 5662, email:
peter.strelan@adelaide.edu.au
Consent: Please read the following terms and conditions carefully and indicate your consent by clicking the 'I agree' button below.
- I consent to take part in the research project entitled Barriers to Forgiveness.
- I acknowledge that I have read and understood the information provided in this information sheet.
- I have had the project, so far as it affects me, fully explained to my satisfaction by the researcher. My consent is given freely.
- I have been informed that, whilst information gained during the study may be published, I will not be identified and my personal results will not be divulged.
- I understand that I am free to withdraw from the study at any time.
- I am aware that a copy of this information sheet/consent form will be available on this website until the study has been concluded.
- I am over 16 years of age.
If you agree to these terms and wish to participate in this survey, please click 'I Agree'
to continue to the survey.