Forgiveness Scale Test

People who are trying to understand how they respond after being hurt may use the Forgiveness Scale Test to examine whether resentment, withdrawal, and willingness to remain connected are shaping their reactions. It is suitable for personal reflection after an interpersonal offense, especially when the goal is to name a pattern rather than make a judgment about the other person. The result offers a forgiveness assessment of two related tendencies.

What This Assessment Explores

Questions focus on reactions to a person who caused harm, including revenge, distrust, emotional distance, avoidance, and ending contact. A person using this forgiveness questionnaire can examine a specific offense and see how letting go of resentment may differ from deciding whether a relationship should continue.

The result is organized into two displayed dimensions:

• Lack of Resentment (5-25) shows the tendency to release a grudge. The bands are Grudge-prone (5-12), Mixed (13-19), and Quick to forgive (20-25).
• Maintaining Contact With the Offender (7-35) shows willingness to maintain or restore contact. The bands are Low contact (7-16), Mixed (17-26), and High contact (27-35).

The dimensions can diverge, so less resentment does not necessarily mean renewed contact.

Methodology and Evidence Base

For this forgiveness scale, each statement uses a five-point agreement format from Strongly disagree to Strongly agree. The items address thoughts, feelings, intentions, and contact decisions concerning an offense. Responses are combined into two displayed scores; the questionnaire does not state a separate clinical cutoff or a point-by-point scoring rule.

The item pattern is conceptually consistent with the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory (TRIM-12) described by McCullough and colleagues in 1998, particularly its focus on avoidance and revenge after interpersonal transgressions. This online questionnaire is not the published TRIM-12, so its results are not interchangeable with research scores.

McCullough, Fincham, and Tsang’s 2003 study provides a time perspective: motivations connected with an offense may change as people process what happened. The result therefore describes a reported tendency in the situation considered, not a fixed character trait. Its displayed bands are descriptive categories, not demonstrated population norms or diagnostic thresholds.

Self-report results can be influenced by current mood, memory, social desirability, and self-awareness. The assessment is best used to identify a pattern for reflection alongside the specific relationship and event.