Rye Forgiveness Scale – RFS
Measures an individual's level of forgiveness toward a specific offender, assessing both the absence of negative responses and the presence of positive responses.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Rye Forgiveness Scale – RFS was developed by Mark S. Rye, Dawn M. Loiacono, Chad D. Folck, Brandon T. Olszewski, Todd A. Heim, and Benjamin P. Madia (2001). It is designed to measure Forgiveness. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 15 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Absence of Negative, Presence of Positive.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Absence of Negative | 1,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12,14 | 10 |
| Presence of Positive | 2,6,7,13,15 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 8 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 15 to 75. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Forgiveness: 15 – 34
- Moderate Forgiveness: 35 – 55
- High Forgiveness: 56 – 75
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source text.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.