@article{ref1,
title="Self-forgiveness among incarcerated individuals in Ghana: relations with shame- and guilt-proneness",
journal="International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology",
year="2020",
author="Osei-Tutu, Annabella and Cowden, Richard G. and Kwakye-Nuako, Charlotte O. and Gadze, Jeremiah and Oppong, Seth and Worthington, Everett L.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="Research on the forgiveness of self has largely focused on less severe, more common types of offenses among samples within developed westernized nations. In this brief report of a study within a developing nation in Africa, applications of self-forgiveness are extended to incarcerated people. The sample comprised <i>N</i> = 310 males (83.87%) and females (16.13%) who were incarcerated in a medium-security Ghanaian prison (<i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 39.35, <i>SD</i><sub>age</sub> = 13.28). Participants completed measures of self-forgiveness, shame-proneness, and guilt-proneness. Prison records were examined for criminal history details. We hypothesized that self-forgiveness would correlate negatively with shame-proneness and positively with guilt-proneness. We tentatively hypothesized that this association would be moderated by offense type. Self-forgiveness correlated with both shame- and guilt-proneness in the hypothesized direction. However, neither association was moderated by type of offense. The findings offer further evidence on the salience of self-conscious emotions in forgiving oneself, particularly among incarcerated offender populations. We discuss the implications of the findings for enhancing offender rehabilitation initiatives.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0306-624X",
doi="10.1177/0306624X20914496",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0306624X20914496"
}