Professor Enright has pioneered the scientific study of forgiveness, which now claims over 1,000 researchers worldwide. He has been honored with a Vilas Associateship Award, the Dean’s Club Faculty Achievement Award, and the campus-wide Hilldale Award in the Social Studies Division for his research on forgiveness. His National Conference on Forgiveness was the first of its kind on any university campus. His various research grants have centered on moral development. One of the most gifted teachers on campus, Dr. Enright is a recipient of the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award and the Wisconsin Student Association Teaching Award. He teaches courses in moral development with an emphasis on the psychology of forgiveness. He is a popular speaker on the moral development of forgiveness, with his work appearing in such outlets as Time magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and ABC’s 20/20. He is a former member of the editorial board of Child Development and is currently on the editorial board of the Journal of Early Adolescence.
RESEARCH STATEMENT
"My research interests center on moral development, particularly the development of forgiveness. There are three primary research projects concerning forgiveness on which students and I are working. One is a process model that postulates a series of steps involved in one person forgiving another. My students and I are currently developing a series of interventions on forgiveness aimed at youth and adults who have suffered from various kinds of interpersonal injustice.
The second project is the development of a scale to measure forgiveness. We have examined the validity of this scale in six different cultures to date. The scale is published by Mind Garden.
The third area of research centers on the development of forgiveness education materials for children in violent and impoverished environments. We have tested the effectiveness of the forgiveness education approach in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for example."
REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS
Waltman, M.A., Russell, D.C., Coyle, C.T., Enright, R.D., Holter, A.C., & Swoboda, C. (in press). The effects of a forgiveness intervention on patients with coronary artery disease. Psychology and Health.
Knutson, J.A., Enright, R.D., & Garbers, B. (2008). Validating the developmental pathway of forgiveness. Journal of Counseling and Development, 86, 193-199.
Enright, R.D., Knutson, J.A., Holter, A.C., Baskin, T., & Knutson, C. (2007). Waging peace through forgiveness in Belfast, Northern Ireland II: Educational programs for mental health improvement of children. Journal of Research in Education, Fall, 63-78.
Reed, G. & Enright, R.D. (2006) The effects of forgiveness therapy on depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress for women after spousal emotional abuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 920-929.
Lin, W.F., Mack, D., Enright, R.D., Krahn, D., & Baskin, T. (2004). Effects of forgiveness therapy on anger, mood, and vulnerability to substance use among inpatient substance-dependent clients. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72(6), 1114-1121.
Enright, R. D. (2004). Rising above the storm clouds. Washington, DC: Magination Press (an imprint of the American Psychological Association; this is a children’s picture book on forgiveness with notes for parents). Book has also been translated into Arabic.