The effects of cognitive flexibility and perceived social support on forgiveness

In this study, the effects of cognitive flexibility and perceived social support on forgiveness were examined. The study was conducted using a correlational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, and the sample consisted of 424 adults, including 246 women (58.02%) and 178 men (41.98%), selected through convenience sampling. Data collection tools included a Personal Information Form, the Forgiveness Scale, the Cognitive Flexibility Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The data were analyzed using SPSS 27. To compare demographic variables (gender, marital status, employment status, education and soci-oeconomic level), the Independent Samples t-test and One-Way ANOVA were used. Pearson Correlation Analysis was employed to examine the relationships between variables, while Scheffe and Games-Howell tests were used to assess group differences. The mediator analysis was conducted using the SPSS Process Macro (Model 4) extension with a 5000-bootstrap resampling option. The analyses revealed that perceived social support did not play a mediating role in the relationship between cognitive flexibility and forgiveness. The forgiveness variable showed significant differences according to gender, education, and socioeconomic status; cognitive flexibility showed significant differences according to employment status and education level; and perceived social support differed significantly by marital status and socioeconomic status. Moreover, statistically significant and positive correlations were found among forgiveness, cognitive flexibility, and perceived social support. The results were discussed in comparison with the related literature and suggestions were presented for experts in the field and for future research.