Helping, Attributions, Emotions and Coping Style in Response to People with Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour

Abstract

This study examines the role of coping style, attributions and emotions in response to challenging behaviour in predicting the helping behaviour of support staff of people with learning disabilities. Thirty-three staff completed questionnaires identifying their attributions of controllability, internality, stability and globality, their emotional response (anger and sympathy) and their likelihood of offering further help in response to challenging behaviour. Staff also completed a short measure of coping style. Coping styles of practical problem solving and wishful thinking and attributions of controllability and internality were independent and significant predictors of effort in helping. The results are discussed in the context of theories of stress and attribution models of helping. Clinical implications for staff training and support are discussed.