Authenticity and Dispositional Forgiveness at Different Stress Levels: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

The study is aimed at investigating of the relationship between two lower-level personality traits — authenticity and dispositional forgiveness (the ability to forgive). Respondents of the study are experiencing stress of different levels and content. The sample consisted of 140 subjects (16–40 years old, Mage=23,1, SDage=9,0, 66 female), divided by the stress level into following groups: conditionally well-off, everyday stress, and chronic stress. The Russian versions of the Authenticity Scale (Nartova-Bochaver et al., 2021) and the Heartland Forgiveness Scale (Adamyan, Nartova-Bochaver, 2020) were used. The higher scores of both authenticity and forgiveness were obtained in respondents with chronic stress, the lowest ones — in respondents with everyday stress, and conditionally well-off respondents had moderately high indicators of both variables. The regression models showed that in the group of chronic stress, authenticity is practically not predicted by forgiveness. For the conditionally well-off and respondents with everyday stress, the most important predictor of authenticity, contributing to an authentic life and protecting from self-alienation, was forgiveness of self. In addition, a second predictor of the same variables, forgiveness of situations, was found in the group of everyday stress. To sum up, the difference in trajectories and possible determinants of positive personality development depending on the level of stress experienced was claimed. The prospects of research and possible application of the results are outlined.