Wade’s Forgiveness Scale – WFS
A multidimensional self-report scale designed to measure the cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of forgiveness toward a specific offender.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Wade’s Forgiveness Scale – WFS was developed by S. H. Wade (1989). It is designed to measure Forgiveness. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 83 items organized into 9 factors/subscales: Revenge, Freedom from Obsession, Affirmation, Victimization, Feelings, Avoidance, Toward God, Conciliation, Holding a Grudge.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Revenge | 3,4,5,15,18,23,25,26,27,28 | 10 |
| Freedom from Obsession | 6,8,14,24 | 4 |
| Affirmation | 1,2,9,11,13,16,20,21,22 | 9 |
| Victimization | 7,10,12,17,19 | 5 |
| Feelings | 29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54 | 26 |
| Avoidance | 59,67,68,70,71,72,74,83 | 8 |
| Toward God | 56,57,63,65,69 | 5 |
| Conciliation | 58,61,62,64,66,73,76,77,78,79,80,82 | 12 |
| Holding a Grudge | 55,60,75,81 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 10 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 83 to 415. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Forgiveness / High Unforgiveness: 83 – 200
- Moderate Forgiveness: 201 – 300
- High Forgiveness: 301 – 415
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High internal consistency (minimum item-parent correlation of r = .50).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.