Forgiveness: A determinant of adolescents' happiness

Adolescencea transitional phase between childhood and adulthoodoffers a plethora of experiences, emotions and feelings to the individuals to orient their personality throughout their life trajectory. However, among all the stages of life, except childhood, adolescence is the most noticeable phase due to rapid and potentially tumultuous transition (Williams, Holmbeck, & Greenly, 2002). Many researchers argue that these rapid and multiple changes bring heightened possibilities of outcomes, both in terms of positive and negative (Ketterlinus & Lamb, 1994; Pipher, 1994). Much emphasis is focused on the problematic outcomes of adolescents, whereas considerably less attention has been given to the positive changes that might occur during this phase. This study is an attempt to assess two major aspects of positive health of adolescentsforgiveness and happinesswhere 'forgiveness' is considered as a process and *happiness' as a product.Forgivenessa prosocial behavior essential for long-term psychological healthplays an important role during adolescence and is considered as an emotion-focused coping process that can promote health (Worthington, 2006; Worthington & Scherer 2004). As a prosocial act, it contributes to positive emotions (Fredrickson, 1998). Forgiveness is a moral response; so it involves more than simply ceasing to be angry or accepting what happens. It is often used as synonym to 'condoning'. When a person condones certain behavior, he realizes that the offender may have had an excuse for his actions. Conversely, when a person forgives, he clearly labels the offender's behavior as morally wrong, but accepts the person as having inherent worth despite the offense.In general, psychosocial or behavioral factors exert their influence on health or illness in various ways (Rowe, 2001). Several studies examining physiological reactivity during imagined or recalled offenses found links to forgiveness. Lawler et al. (2003) found that recalled experiences of betrayal that were less forgiven were associated with greater cardiovascular reactivity. The state of forgiveness was also associated with self-reports of illness, hostility, and stress. On the basis of past evidence, consistently it appears that the state and trait of forgiveness are generally associated with better mental and physical health. Given these associations, researches have proposed theoretical models that could explain the relationships between forgiveness and health (Thoresen, Harris, & Luskin, 2000; McCullough, 2000). With the help of premise that forgiveness reduces hostility, Thoresen et al. (2000) enumerated six potential pathways linking forgiveness and health(l) a decrease in chronic blaming, anger, and hostility; (2) reductions in chronic hyperarousal and/or allostatic load; (3) optimistic thinking; (4) self-efficacy to take health-related actions; (5) social support; and (6) transcendent consciousness. Along with forgiveness, happinessa biproduct of multifarious factorsplays a significant role in maintaining and sustaining individual's healthphysical, psychological, social, and spiritual.Happinessa composite of life satisfaction (Diener, Lucas, & Scollon, 2006), coping resources (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005), and positive emotions (Fredrickson, 1998)predicts desirable life outcomes in physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains in every phase of the Ufe span. Happiness is understood in terms of two perspectiveshedonic and eudaimonic. Between hedonic and eudaimonic happiness (Ryan & Deci, 2001), hedonic happiness is the relatively shorter-term evaluation of present day happiness as a balance within positive and negative affect, pleasure attainment and pain avoidance. Eudaimonic happiness is the longerterm psychological well-being resulting from the engagement with individual development and the existential challenges within life, meaning and self-reflection (Keyes, Shmotkin, & Ryff, 2002; Ryan & Deci, 2001). …