Title

Negative Affect and Anger Rumination as Mediators between Forgiveness and Sleep Quality

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2008

Publication Source

Journal of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Research indicates that forgiveness of interpersonal transgressions relates to better sleep quality, whereas maintaining feelings of anger and hostility relates to poorer sleep quality. However, the mechanisms explaining these relationships have yet to be determined. We examined whether negative affect and anger rumination mediate the relationship between forgiveness of others and sleep quality using a sample of 277 undergraduates from a medium-sized Midwestern Catholic university. Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing forgiveness of others (situational and dispositional), sleep quality (nocturnal sleep and daytime fatigue), negative affect (depression and anxiety), and anger rumination. Using structural equation modeling, we found that negative affect and anger rumination mediated the relationship between forgiveness and sleep quality through two indirect pathways. In one pathway, negative affect mediated between forgiveness and sleep quality. In the second pathway, both negative affect and anger rumination functioned as mediators. Implications for clinicians and researchers are discussed.

Inclusive pages

478-488

ISBN/ISSN

0160-7715

Comments

Other work by the author Catherine J. Lutz-Zois may appear in this repository under the names Catherine J. Lutz or Catherine L. Zois.

Volume

31

Issue

6

Peer Reviewed

yes

Keywords

forgiveness, sleep quality, negative affect, rumination, mediation

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