Cultivating Resilience Through Forgiveness Training: A Quasi-Experimental Study Among Indonesian University Students

Abstract

University students frequently encounter academic pressures and personal challenges that can undermine their adaptive capacity. Resilience is an essential protective factor that enables individuals to recover from difficulties and maintain psychological balance. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a structured forgiveness training program in enhancing students’ resilience. A quasi-experimental design with an experimental and a control group was applied. Participants consisted of 109 undergraduate students (85 in the experimental group and 24 in the control group) selected through purposive sampling. Resilience was measured using the Indonesian adaptation of the resilience intelligence scale (Cronbach’s α = .87). The two-day intervention included psycho-educational methods, guided reflection, and forgiveness practice based on Enright’s forgiveness model. Data were analyzed using a general linear model (GLM) with repeated measures. Results revealed a significant interaction effect between time and group, F(1, 107) = 25.62, p < .001, η² = .193, indicating that the experimental group experienced a substantial increase in resilience (ΔM = +12.30) compared to the control group (ΔM = +0.17). These findings demonstrate that forgiveness training serves as an effective promotive psychological intervention for enhancing resilience among university students.