Description

The Enright Forgiveness Inventory (EFI) is a psychometric tool developed by Dr. Robert Enright and his colleagues at the International Forgiveness Institute. It is designed to measure the extent of an individual’s forgiveness toward a specific person who has wronged them. The scale evaluates the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses of an individual toward the person who committed the harm.

Goal

The primary goal of the EFI is to provide a comprehensive assessment of forgiveness. This tool helps researchers and clinicians understand the degree to which an individual has forgiven another person, as well as the factors contributing to the forgiveness process. It is widely used in research contexts to study the relationship between forgiveness and mental health, well-being, and interpersonal relationships.

Analysis

The EFI consists of 60 statements covering three main dimensions of forgiveness:
Affective Dimension:
This dimension evaluates the individual’s feelings toward the wrongdoer, such as anger, hatred, and resentment.
Example statements: “I feel angry when I think about this person.”
Behavioral Dimension:
This dimension assesses the individual’s behaviors and reactions toward the wrongdoer, such as avoidance or a desire for reconciliation.
Example statements: “I avoid seeing or speaking with this person.”
Cognitive Dimension:
This dimension evaluates the individual’s thoughts and perceptions about the wrongdoer, such as understanding and the desire to give a second chance.
Example statements: “I try to understand the wrongdoer’s side of things.”

Scoring

The scoring of the EFI is done using Likert scales, where participants rate each statement on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). These responses are collected and analyzed to generate overall scores for each dimension of forgiveness. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of forgiveness.

References

Enright, R. D., & Fitzgibbons, R. P. (2000). Helping Clients Forgive: An Empirical Guide for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope. American Psychological Association.
Enright, R. D., & The Human Development Study Group. (1991). The moral development of forgiveness. In W. M. Kurtines & J. L. Gewirtz (Eds.), Handbook of Moral Behavior and Development (Vol. 1, pp. 123-152). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
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.
Lin, W. L., Mack, D., Enright, R. D., Krahn, D., & Baskin, T. W. (2004). Effects of forgiveness therapy on anger, mood, and vulnerability to substance use among inpatient substance-dependent clients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(6), 1114-1121.