Heartland Forgiveness Scale – HFS
Measures dispositional forgiveness across three dimensions: forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others, and forgiveness of situations.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Heartland Forgiveness Scale – HFS was developed by Laura Yamhure Thompson, C. R. Snyder, Lesa Hoffman (2005). It is designed to measure Dispositional Forgiveness. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 18 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Forgiveness of Self, Forgiveness of Others, Forgiveness of Situations.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Forgiveness of Self | 1,2,3,4,5,6 | 6 |
| Forgiveness of Others | 7,8,9,10,11,12 | 6 |
| Forgiveness of Situations | 13,14,15,16,17,18 | 6 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Almost always False of me, 2 = More often False of me, 3 = More often True of me, 4 = Almost always True of me.
The scale includes 9 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 18 to 72. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Forgiveness: 18 – 36
- Moderate Forgiveness: 37 – 54
- High Forgiveness: 55 – 72
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.