Abstract
People who have experienced a traumatic life event may blame themselves, in part, because they perceive that they could have avoided the event. A study of respondents with spinal cord injuries shows that their causal attributions for the event are distinguishable from their perceptions of avoidability, the latter frequently focusing on mutable aspects of their own behavior. Respondents with spinal cord injuries and trained raters attributed the same degree of causal significance to the respondent but differed in their assignment of blame: Respondents assumed more personal blame than raters gave them. Regression analyses suggest that a significant portion of respondents' self-blame can be attributed to their self-implicating perceptions of avoidability. The degree to which respondents believed that they could have avoided their accident predicted self-blame even after controlling for their causal attributions for the event. Implications for the study of self-blame and perceived avoidability are discussed.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
