Understanding the Interconnectedness between Religion, Forgiveness, Self-compassion and Human Flourishing among Emerging Adults at the University of Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

The study explored the relationship between religion, forgiveness, self-compassion and human flourishing among emerging adults at the University of Lagos. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design, which allowed for concurrent measurement of both the dependent and independent variables. Using the accidental sampling method, a sample of 408 participants comprising 215 males (52.7%) and 193 females (47.3%) were selected for this study. The scales used to assess these participants comprised three standardized psychological instruments, the secure flourish measure, the heartland forgiveness scale and the self-compassion scale short form (SCSSF). The result however showed a significant influence of religion on forgiveness with Christians reporting the highest in forgiveness compared to other religions, the result further revealed a significant positive relationship between forgiveness and human flourishing but no significant relationship between self-compassion and human flourishing. It, also, showed forgiveness and self-compassion as joint predictors of human flourishing. The findings of this study suggest that those who are more inclined to forgive may experience greater levels of personal growth and well-being. However, this study adds more contribution to scholarship by exploring the interconnectedness between religion, Religion, forgiveness, self-compassion and human flourishing which addresses the gap in existing literature by examining in specific context emerging adults in Nigeria. Keywords: Religion, Forgiveness, Self-Compassion, Human Flourishing, Emerging Adults