Scientists Present Findings at First Conference Ever on Forgiveness Research

10/22/2003

From: Vicki Robb, 202-285-4394, or Louisa Mattozzi, 703-476-0742; Web: http://www.forgiving.org

News Advisory:

More than 40 of the top scientists in the world who study forgiveness are reporting on their research at a conference in Atlanta Oct. 24-25 at the Westin, Peachtree Plaza Hotel.

Spanning the globe from South Africa to Northern Ireland, some of the top researchers include Franz duWaal (director of the Yerkes Primate Center), Ming Tsuang (Harvard psychiatrist), and Lyndon Eaves (geneticist, second most cited geneticist in world).

The conference is hosted by A Campaign for Forgiveness Research, a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating research for personal health, maintaining relationships, peace among nations and biological connections with primates. The research is funded by grants from the John Templeton Foundation, the Fetzer Institute and donations to the Campaign from individuals and family foundations. The Campaign is directed by Everett L. Worthington Jr., professor and chair of Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University, and author of "Five Steps to Forgiveness" (Crown Publishers).

For complimentary registration information for journalists or to arrange interviews, visit http://www.forgiving.org or contact Vicki Robb at 202-285-4394.

Keynote speakers include Martin Luther King III, civil rights activist and head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Martin Seligman, past president of the American Psychological Association; and Les Parrott, relationship expert and author of Love the Life You Live.

The scientific presentations include the power of forgiving as it affects marriages, health, women, Blacks, religion, businesses, relationships, criminals and victims, substance abusers, and others. The first study to examine brain imaging when making judgments about forgiveness is also presented. Others include:

-- Can forgiveness become medicine's newest tool in the rehabilitation process? One study of the medical rehabilitation of spinal cord patients says yes. Forgiveness was found to improve health and those more forgiving of themselves and of others reported more life satisfaction.

-- Forgiveness is a factor in low blood pressure, especially in poorer Blacks. Forgiveness linked to low blood pressure and, first study connecting forgiveness and health to survey racially and socio-economically diverse individuals shows that, for low socio-economic status Blacks, forgiveness is linked to low blood pressure and low levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

-- Forgiveness research highlights new realities in the battle of the sexes. A new study finds that women are more likely to forgive than men, but both are equal in seeking revenge.

-- When counseling forgiveness in victims of child sexual abuse, there is no such thing as an open and shut case of forgive and forget. An ongoing ten-year study on the long-term impact of child sexual abuse found that reconciling with the offender might not be a healthy choice, especially when the mother and child are not close. Going beyond certain steps in the forgiveness process was shown to be detrimental in cases of child sexual abuse.

-- Forgiveness is linked to less back pain and depression. New study demonstrates that among people who have chronic back pain, those who have forgiven others experience lower levels of pain and less associated psychological problems like anger and depression than those who have not forgiven.