Causal Attributions Research Articles

Stigma as a local process: Stigma associated with opioid dependency in a rural-mixed Indiana county

BackgroundBecause the nature and magnitude of stigmatizing views associated with opioid dependency vary by social, cultural, and structural factors, strategies to reduce public stigma towards opioid dependency should vary by context. We leverage a unique dataset with evidence of multiple stigmatizing views to understand how to target interventions to reduce stigma in a state disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic, with a specific focus on a rural-mixed county. MethodsData come from the representative Person-to-Person Health Study (2018–2020) of 2,050 Indiana residents, 224 from the rural-mixed Fayette County. Bivariate statistics and multivariate regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between Fayette County and measures of stigma (e.g., desire for social distance, prejudice, causal attributions) relative to the rest of Indiana. ResultsFayette County statistically differed from the rest of Indiana on most demographic characteristics and measures of stigmatizing views. Multivariate regressions revealed that compared to the rest of Indiana, residence in Fayette County was associated with a higher desire for social distance, perceptions of unpredictability, and attributing opioid dependency to genetics and the way the person was raised. ConclusionOur results contribute to growing evidence supporting the need for local approaches to address stigma. Stigma in Fayette County primarily reflects concerns about how people manage their opioid dependency. Strategies focusing on treatment and recovery potential, accompanied by extending the influence of supportive stakeholders and policies, will become important to address this stigma.

Death due to sickle cell crisis: a case report.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common hereditary hemoglobinopathy worldwide. It results in characteristic acute and chronic findings on postmortem computed tomography (PMCT), macroscopic and microscopic examinations. While the diagnostic imaging and macroscopic features are not specific for SCD on their own, when coupled with microscopic features such as sickled erythrocytes and evidence of chronic venous congestion (i.e., Gamna-Gandy bodies), these clues can help alert forensic pathologists to the presence of SCD. Despite the prevalence of the disease and the constellation of findings alluded to above, SCD is not often explored in forensic pathology literature. This case demonstrates classic acute and chronic features of SCD on PMCT, macroscopic and microscopic examinations. It explores the pathophysiology leading to sudden and unexpected death in a person with SCD and possible pitfalls in attribution of cause of death.

Arterio-occlusive events among patients with chronic myeloid leukemia on tyrosine kinase inhibitors

AbstractTyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are standard therapy for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Each of these drugs has a specific profile of tyrosine kinases that they inhibit and, although all are clinically effective, they each have unique toxicity profiles. With the introduction of ponatinib, arterio-occlusive events were first noted and later found to occur with all TKIs to various extents. The recognition of this “class effect” was delayed considering ponatinib was introduced 10 years after the introduction of imatinib. The reasons for the delay in identification of this class effect are likely multifaceted. Importantly, there is an inconsistency in adverse event reporting criteria among the major clinical trials of the various TKIs, likely resulting in mixed reporting of arterio-occlusive events. Reporting events based on a frequency threshold, lack of sufficient follow-up, attempts at causality attribution, and the primary focus on molecular response may all have played an additional role. Considering the increasing rate of arterio-occlusive events over time, the termination of many trials after only 5 years prevents full assessment of the impact of these events. A comprehensive evaluation of TKI adverse effects using uniform Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities terms and comprehensive adjudication of these events may be helpful in better assessing the real risk for patients with each TKI. Future clinical trials should use a uniform and comprehensive approach to reporting adverse events without attempting to assign causality to the study drug.

Causal attributions for poverty in citizens of Córdoba (Argentina): Psychometric analysis using CTT and IRT

Causal attributions for poverty in citizens of Córdoba (Argentina): Psychometric analysis using CTT and IRT

Just my luck: How children's causal attributions contribute to injury prevention.

Traumatic injury in children, particularly adolescents, is both frequently and costly. In this study, we directly examined children's causal attributions for the recent traumas and asked them to propose prevention strategies of their own. We predict that children who attribute their injuries to their own actions, rather than an external force such as luck, will be more likely to develop strategies to avoid trauma in the future. All children aged 10 -18years who presented to a Level 1 pediatric trauma center at an urban children's hospital over a ten-month period were identified and presented with a series of structured interview questions. They were asked to describe the cause of their injuries, whether they believed them to be avoidable, and what strategies, if any, they thought might have prevented their trauma. 46 children with an average age of 13.4years were surveyed and the responses of 44 children were analyzed. Most injuries resulted from sports (24) or motor vehicle accidents (14). The remaining injuries were due to burns (4) and falls (2). Twelve (27%) children believed that their own behavior was to blame for their injuries. 32 children ascribed their injuries to circumstances outside of their control with the majority (30, 94%) viewing themselves as "unlucky." Children who accepted fault for injury and children who thought their accident was avoidable were more likely to be able to formulate a strategy for preventing future injury. Children who thought their accident was avoidable were also more likely to accept fault for it. Children surveyed denied their own culpability and preferred to attribute their injuries to bad luck. Moreover, children who believed themselves to be simply unlucky were less able than others to propose strategies that might prevent further injury.

The attribution of causality, perception of responsibility, and preferred generic means of life distribution

The attribution of causality, a central concept in human cognition theory, is the principal instrument for investigating functional links between events and phenomena. Although the links between causality and moral responsibility are commonly recognized, the scope of studies analysing the practical implications of causality attribution is minimal. This study examines the effect of causality perception on the desired distribution of the generic means of life by utilising thought experiment data collection methodology and non-parametric statistical analysis. The results indicate that: (i) causality perception affects the desired distribution, and (ii) individuals show no tendency to modify their perception of causality.

The Relationship Between Job Insecurity and Psychological Contract Breach as Conditional Upon Causal Attributions: A Within-Person Approach

The Relationship Between Job Insecurity and Psychological Contract Breach as Conditional Upon Causal Attributions: A Within-Person Approach

Causal attributions of impulsive and compulsive behaviors.

Aggression, and therefore gender-based violence, can be an impulsive or compulsive behavior, depending on the consumption of alcohol and/or drugs. In Europe, the prevalence of gender-based violence is 16 to 23%. This prevalence shows that there is a need to make further progress in the treatment of aggression against women. Qualitative techniques allow us to understand perceptions and attributions holistically by analyzing what people who commit the crime say, why they say it and how they say it. To explore the experience of physical and verbal aggression by a partner, dependent on the presence or absence of alcohol and drug use, in the prison population. A mixed methodology was used (combining qualitative and quantitative techniques). The sample was made up of 140 men divided into two focus groups [with alcohol and/or drug consumption (SAD) and without alcohol and/or drug consumption (NSAD)] who completed the Demographic, Criminal and Behavioral Interview in Penitentiary Institutions; the Gender Violence Questionnaire (both developed for this study) and the MultiCAGE CAD-4 Questionnaire. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis and quantitative data were obtained using contingency tables. It was found that the SAD group attributed the crime committed to alcohol and/or drug consumption, while the NSAD group attributed it to jealousy and to their partner. The SAD group revealed that the consequence of the physical aggressions was to get what they were looking for from their partner and the consequences of the verbal aggressions was regret, unlike the NSAD group that did not get anything from the aggressions. The SAD group recognized that to avoid future aggressions they would have to avoid alcohol and/or drug use, while the NSAD group mentioned that they would have to avoid contact with their partner. The need to include perceptions and attributions as well as the use of alcohol and/or drugs is emphasized when assessing individuals who commit the crime of gender-based violence.

Mindful Parenting as a Mediator in Parents' Perspective-Taking: Exploring the Roles of Causal Attribution and Self-Compassion.

Existing literature has examined the link between parent causal attribution and self-compassion in parent perspective-taking, but the impact of mindful parenting as a mediator remains underexplored. The present study examines the mediating effect of mindful parenting on the relationship between parental attribution and self-compassion in parents' perspective-taking. Using a cross-sectional design, 208 parents aged 30 to 59 (M = 42, SD = 4.3) with first-born adolescents aged 12-18 participated in the study. The results revealed that mindful parenting fully mediated the relationship between parental causal attribution and perspective-taking while partially mediating the association between self-compassion and perspective-taking. These findings emphasize the crucial role of mindful parenting in explaining the relationship between parent causal attribution, self-compassion, and parent perspective-taking. Further research is needed to explore these relationships in more diverse and representative samples.

Why are some countries rich and others poor? development and validation of the attributions for Cross-Country Inequality Scale (ACIS).

Understanding lay theories on the causes of economic inequality is the first step to comprehending why people tolerate, justify, or react against it. Accordingly, this paper aims to develop and validate with two cross-sectional studies the Attributions for Cross-Country Inequality Scale (ACIS), which assesses how people explain cross-country economic inequality-namely, the uneven distribution of income and wealth between poor and rich countries. After selecting and adapting items from existing scales of attributions for poverty and wealth, in Study 1, we tested the factorial structure of this initial pool of items in three countries with different levels of economic development and inequality, namely, Italy (n = 246), the UK (n = 248), and South Africa (n = 228). Three causal dimensions emerged from the Exploratory Factor Analysis: "rich countries" (blaming the systematic advantage of and exploitation by rich countries), "poor countries" (blaming the dispositional inadequacy and faults of poor countries), and "fate" (blaming destiny and luck). The retained items were administered in Study 2 to three new samples from Italy (n = 239), the UK (n = 249), and South Africa (n = 248). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) corroborated the factorial structure of the ACIS, and Multi-Group CFA supported configural and metric invariances of the scale across countries. In addition, we show internal consistency and construct validity of the scale: the scale correlates with relevant constructs (e.g., beliefs about cross-country inequality and ideological orientation) and attitudes toward relevant policies related to international redistribution and migration. Overall, the scale is a valid instrument to assess causal attribution for cross-national inequality and is reliable across countries. By focusing on resource distribution from an international perspective, this scale will allow researchers to broaden the discussion on economic inequality to a global level.

Are Experiences of Discrimination Associated With Views of Physical Activity and Climate Policy Support in Canada?

Social climate refers to the general feelings, norms, and opinions in a society and may be affected by experiences of discrimination. This study examined whether experiences of discrimination are associated with the social climate of physical (in)activity and support for policies addressing dual benefits of physical activity (PA) and climate change. Data from the 2023 Social Climate Survey were used (n = 1950; ≥18y). Adherence to PA guidelines, perceived importance of PA, social norms, and support for 8 policy actions addressing dual benefits were each regressed on experiences of discrimination. Experiencing discrimination was not associated with the importance of PA, causal attribution of physical inactivity (individual vs external), adherence to PA guidelines, or policy support addressing PA and climate change. However, experiencing discrimination was associated with social norms that are favorable to PA: seeing children playing actively outdoors (odds ratio [OR]: 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06), perceiving that half of people their age meeting PA guidelines (OR: 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06), agreeing with societal disapproval of physical inactivity (OR: 1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.06), and having important people (eg,family/friends) meeting PA guidelines (OR: 1.10; 95% CI, 1.08-1.12). Unlike structural discrimination, interpersonal experiences of discrimination may not shape the perceived importance of and engagement in PA. However, experiencing discrimination may be associated with an individual's perceptions of their social environment, including how they observe and interpret the behaviors of others within their community. Generally strong support for policies addressing dual benefits, regardless of experiences with discrimination, aligns well with the planetary health agenda.

Mendelian Randomization Validates the Immune Landscape Mediated by Aggrephagy in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients from the Perspectives of Multi-omics.

Objective: To delineate the immune landscape of ESCC patients mediated by aggrephagy through bioinformatics and identify prognostic cell cluster genes with causal attributes to esophageal cancer through Mendelian randomization. Methods: Quality control, dimension reduction, and annotation were performed on the ESCC single-cell dataset. NMF clustering of various cell subgroups was carried out based on the expression of AGG-related genes, and AGG-related genes in each cluster were identified. Pseudo-temporal analysis was used to observe changes in the expression of AGG-related genes in each cluster. Cell communication analysis was employed to observe interactions between cell subgroups. Changes in classification, metabolism, or KEGG pathways in related subgroups were observed based on different cell characteristics. The AGG cluster attributes of TCGA and GEO samples were assessed based on GSVA, and the prognosis of each cluster was observed. The immune treatment situation and the relationship between mutation level and prognosis of AGG cluster-related samples were observed through the TIDE database and microsatellite instability. Finally, the eQTL of genes in each prognostic AGG cluster was used as an instrumental variable, with esophageal cancer as the outcome factor. Through Mendelian randomization analysis, AGG cluster-related genes with a causal relationship to esophageal cancer were established. Results: Dimension reduction clustering of single-cell transcriptome data identified 19 different cell subgroups. After re-annotation of the 19 cell subgroups, it was found that the CAF cells, B cells, T cells, NK cells, etc., of ESCA patients were all elevated compared to the control group. CAF cells had a high degree of communication with most cells. There were significant differences in macrophage metabolism and B-cell-mediated signal transduction pathways in different AGG clusters. The TUBA1B+Mac-C0 cluster, along with other clusters, exhibits predictive prognostic and immunotherapeutic potential at the transcriptional level. Mendelian randomization analysis revealed a causal relationship between genes such as CTSZ, CTSC, DAD, COLEC12, ATOX1, within the AGG cluster, and the onset of esophageal cancer. Conclusion: Aggrephagy mediates and influences the alterations and interactions of various immune cells in patients with ESCC. We elucidate the roles of AGG-related clusters, such as TUBA1B+Mac-C0, VIM+CD8+T_cells-C0, UBB+Mac-C2, in mediating prognosis and immune therapy in ESCC patients. Genes causally associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer are identified within the AGG cluster, including CTSZ, CTSC, DAD, COLEC12, ATOX1, etc., offering new evidence for clinical immune therapy. These findings underscore the significance of these gene clusters in influencing both prognosis and immune responses in the context of esophageal cancer, shedding light on potential therapeutic targets and prognostic markers.

Air Pollution and Climate Change Risk Perception among Residents in Three Cities of the Mexico Megalopolis

Recent reports of the criteria pollutants in the Megalopolis, located in the central part of Mexico, consistently show air quality standard exceedances in most of the cities that make it up, since it is a large concentration where approximately 17% of the national population resides and because it has significant commercial and industrial development. To investigate the similarities and disparities in risk perception concerning air pollution and climate change among residents living in Central Mexico, a cross-sectional survey study was carried out within three metropolitan areas encompassed by the Megalopolis. A total of 1750 questionnaire surveys were conducted across 21 municipalities within the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), 16 municipalities within the Toluca Valley Metropolitan Area (TVMA), and 8 municipalities within the Cuernavaca Metropolitan Area. The three metropolitan areas showed significant differences in terms of air quality perception, risk perception, attitudes, and causal attribution perception, but health-related perception did not have significant differences among the areas. The MCMA exhibited higher knowledge about air pollution, although it associated the causes with urban activities such as car usage, while the Toluca and Cuernavaca areas linked this issue to the burning of garbage, coal, wood, and agricultural activities. Although residents expressed concern about air pollution, climate change, and their effects, they do not know how to act to contribute to the solution.

Why now? Causal Attributions for Unemployment in Older People in Spain, Based on Their Life Experiences

In a society marked by commerce and competitiveness, age has become an exclusion factor in employment, which affects people aged over 45 years. Based on the voices of the affected individuals in the Spanish context, this study explores the perceived causal attributions for their unemployment situation along with their experiences of job success. We conducted a multi-case study from an autobiographical perspective with ten participants, using in-depth interviews and reflective dialogue around life experiences. The results reveal, from a relational approach, the main attributions that emerged during the discourse. In spite of their singularities, the results indicate that the discourses generate shared identity traits, although there is an agreement in indicating age discrimination as one of the main determinants.

Management of uterine fibroid with homoeopathy: A case report

In women of reproductive age, uterine fibroids (UF) are among the most prevalent benign tumours. A female patient of 35 years of age presented with complaints of irregular, profuse menstrual flow with dull, aching pain in the whole abdomen during menses, having previously been diagnosed as ‘Uterine fibroid’ for one year. Homoeopathic medicine was prescribed on the basis of the totality of symptoms which restored the patient’s health. Initially, Calcarea carbonica 200C was given, and later, the potency was increased to 1M. Rhus Toxicodendron 30C was prescribed during the course of treatment for viral fever. The assessment of significant improvement was done using UF symptoms and a health-related quality of life questionnaire every three months. The Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homoeopathy (MONARCH)-causal attribution inventory was also used to evaluate the response of homoeopathic medication and further clarify the importance of individualised treatment in homoeopathy. This case study demonstrates the value of individualised homoeopathic treatment in the treatment of UFs.

Social learning communities of practice as mechanisms for sustainable tourism: a process tracing evaluation of a government intervention

ABSTRACT Many governments introduce interventions to help small enterprises adopt more sustainable practices. We used process tracing to evaluate how and why communities of practice and social forms of learning are key mechanisms to facilitate action-oriented sustainability learning. We subjected each piece of evidence to a contribution analysis, in addition to the probabilistic necessity and sufficiency, to affirm causal attribution and its strength. The study shows how learning is contingent on the context designed. Knowledge assimilation and behavioural change are more likely to happen when an intervention delivers structured resource-based training that is amplified with community support and peer interactions. Setting tangible routines and regular interactions that allow participants to gain knowledge and best practices through resource-based learning were necessary but not sufficient to promote change. This evaluation highlights the need to provide structured learning with tangible routines and regular interactions with peers (i) to leverage communities of practice to create a supportive social environment (ii) that introduce normative influences building a sense of peer accountability. Process tracing proved to be a useful methodology to compare the benefits of two learning approaches in the intervention, without the need for a control group.

Kauzalne atribucije za počinjenje djela i percepcije žrtve kod zatvorenih počinitelja seksualnih delikata na štetu djece

This qualitative study with a sample of 10 child sex offenders in Tripolis prison, Greece, aimed to evaluate their causal attributions for offending and their victim-related perceptions. The deductive thematic analysis revealed the following themes concerning their attributions for offending: 1) No explanation provided; 2) “I don’t know why I am in prison. I don’t accept the accusations and I didn’t do anything”; 3) “My action was misunderstood. It wasn't molestation"; 4) “Ι did it but not in the way it was presented”; 5) “I did it, but I don’t accept the culpability”; 6) “I did it and I accept the culpability”. With regard to their victim-related perceptions, the following themes were revealed: 1) "The victim is very well and hasn’t been affected by the molestation"; 2) "I don’t know where the victim is-I suppose he/she is fine"; 3) "I don’t know where the victim is-I suppose he/she has been affected by the molestation"; 4) "I don’t know where the victim is-I suppose he/she isn’t fine due to other reasons". The above themes provide a new framework for evaluating this topic. By enhancing our understanding of this field, we can better plan interventions that respond to the clinical needs of these offenders.

I am not the cause of this pain: An experimental study of the cognitive processes underlying causal attribution in the unpredictable situation whether negative outcomes

ObjectivesPain causal attribution is the attribution of pain causes to self or others, which may depend on one's choice of actions. The study aimed to examine how the cognitive processes of pain causal attribution as one aspect of the sense of agency change in healthy individuals based on free or forced choice, using a temporal binding (TB) experimental task. MethodsParticipants pressed keys (action) in a combined TB task, with one key having a high probability of delivering pain (with tone). In fact, only the bias between the free-choice and the forced choice conditions was manipulated. Participants estimated the time between their action and tone, with shorter intervals indicating internal attribution. ResultsInterval estimation was significantly longer in the forced-choice condition than in the free-choice condition when a pain stimulus was delivered. ConclusionsExplicit complaints of pain being caused by others may be represented in implicit cognitive processes.

“If only we'd known”: Theory of supply failure under two‐sided information asymmetry

AbstractSupply failures are persistent and costly in contemporary supply chains. Viewed through the lens of agency theory, such failures are potentially caused by hidden actions of the supplier under information asymmetry and goal incongruence in the buyer–supplier relationship (as principal–agent). However, by reversing the direction of information asymmetry, an alternative cause arises: hidden expectations, where the supplier has good intentions but incomplete information regarding the buyer's true preferences and specifications. Further, following a failure, the buyer forms a causal attribution and takes subsequent action. Yet these attributions suffer from cognitive biases potentially causing buyers to misattribute supply failures, leading to costly conflict and even relationship termination. Combining agency and attribution theories, this article develops a theoretical framework to explain antecedents to a buyer's attribution process under conditions of two‐sided asymmetric information. It discusses the harmful relationship effects of misattribution. The framework can assist in identifying and minimizing cognitive biases causing misattribution, hence avoiding the unintentional deterioration of relationships that often follow a supply failure. A research agenda to examine hidden expectations and misattribution is also provided.

Post-ERCP cholecystitis: Incidence, characteristics, and outcomes from a prospective multicenter biliary endoscopy registry

The incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of post-ERCP cholecystitis are poorly described. We aimed to describe cases of post-ERCP cholecystitis from a prospective multicenter registry with protocolized 30-day follow-up. Patient- and procedure-related data from 7 centers were obtained. The primary outcome was post-ERCP cholecystitis, defined according to a Delphi-based criteria and causal attribution system. Risk factors and outcomes were described for all cases. Seventeen cases of post-ERCP cholecystitis were identified among 4428 patients with gallbladders undergoing ERCP between 2018 and 2023 (incidence, 0.38%; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.57). In ERCPs with covered metal stenting, 7 of 467 resulted in cholecystitis (incidence, 1.50%; 95% confidence interval, 0.40-2.60). Patients had symptoms at a median of 5 days (interquartile range, 5) after ERCP. Management strategies included cholecystectomy, percutaneous cholecystostomy, and endoscopic stent removal/exchange. Estimates of post-ERCP cholecystitis incidence can inform discussions around procedural risk.