Casual Attributions Research Articles

Historical and etymological aspect of the conceptual triad mercy-indifference-cruelty in English and Russian

The object of the study is the linguocultural triad mercy-indifference-cruelty in English and Russian. The subject of the study is nuclear lexemes that verbalize the linguistic and cultural concepts of mercy, indifference, cruelty in the compared languages. To reveal the essence of the concepts studied, etymological analysis of the lexemes-representatives, data from etymological dictionaries of English and Russian languages were used. The purpose of the study is to establish universal and idioethnic characteristics of the representatives of the conceptual triad mercy-indifference-cruelty in English and Russian. The following methods were used in the work carried out: semantic method, etymological method, comparative method, external reconstruction method. The scientific novelty of the work consists in the study of the linguistic and cultural concepts of mercy, indifference, cruelty in etymological perspective, which have not previously been studied in triadic relations when comparing English and Russian languages. As a result of the conducted research, we received information for the first time that nuclear lexemes verbalizing the concept of mercy in English and Russian at the initial stage of their functioning in the compared languages have similar motivation due to the presence of the first root of the Proto-Indo-European language. We have found evidence of a semantic shift in the perception of linguistic units representing the concept of indifference in English and Russian linguistic cultures in diachronic terms. A characteristic idioethnic feature of the representation of the concept of cruelty in the minds of native speakers of the Russian language is its ambiguity and dependence on casual attribution.

HOMOEOPATHIC MANAGEMENT OF TARGETED HAEMARTHROSES IN INHIBITOR POSITIVE HAEMOPHILIAC: A CASE REPORT

Haemarthroses is common presentation in haemophilia patient. Due to recurrent use of clotting factor concentrates for treatment and prophylaxis, of which about 20 % of patients produce antibodies to factor VIII and factor IX. This results in development of inhibitors in such patients which complicates the case even more. Homoeopathy the alternative form of treatment can be used in such case. This case report presents the management of haemarthroses in a haemophilia inhibitor. Well selected homoeopathic similimum helped in reversing the haemophilic arthropathy in left knee joint of the patient and even controlled the recurrence of the haemarthroses in target joint. The result was assessed using Hemophilia joint health assessment scale (HJHS). The result of before and after treatment was extremely significant with a p value of 0.0009 The individual curative response of the case was assessed using Modified naranjo criteria for homoeopathic case reporting, casual attribution (MONARCH).

Psychological aspects of the teacher's activities within the framework of personal-oriented training in a technical university

The article is devoted to the issue related to the perception and knowledge of the student's personality by the teacher within the framework of a person-oriented learning model. The authors consider the structure of pedagogical activity including professional psychological and pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical skills, personal characteristics. Particular attention is paid to the psychological aspects of solving the problems of pedagogy associated with interpersonal interaction in the learning process. The authors present an overview of the psychological components of the teacher's personality, perceptual mechanisms: empathy, reflection, casual attribution. They are a condition for achieving high productivity in student education, which implies an adequate reflection by the teacher and student of each other and the establishment of mutual understanding and effective interaction on this basis. One of the fundamental factors in the productive implementation of personal-oriented training was the professional attitude of the teacher, which acquires psychological content and determines the tactical capabilities of his activities. The authors emphasized that the content and psychology of the teacher's activities is determined not only by social factors ― the place, functions, requirements of society, but also by socio-psychological factors ― by the expectations of others in relation to the teacher's personality and activities, his own expectations, attitudes and value constructs in the field of professional activity, which are the source of his activity. The article presents the results of a study of the professional attitudes of the teacher on the perception of students. The work was carried out on the basis of the Karaganda State Technical University named after Abylkas Saginov. The study involved 60 university teachers aged 30-60 years.

A mixed-method analysis of self-efficacy for speaking with university EFL learners

ABSTRACT This study explores speaking self-efficacy for university EFL students in Japan. The primary objectives of the study were to analyse the growth of self-efficacy over time, potential differences between male and female students, and the relationship between self-efficacy, casual attribution, and outcome satisfaction. While several studies have shown a correlation between self-efficacy and achievement in language learning (Raoofi et al. 2012), there are few studies that have focused specifically on the domain of speaking. 58 first– and second-year Japanese students filled out a series of three questionnaires in conjunction with a standardised speaking test given at two points during a 15-week semester. ANOVA results indicated a significant growth in self-efficacy for the speaking test, and that male students reported significantly higher self-efficacy than the female students. Furthermore, correlational analysis showed a moderate relationship between self-efficacy and stability attributions on the final speaking test, as well as a weak but significant negative relationship between self-efficacy and outcome satisfaction. These results highlight the need for more fine-grained analysis of self-efficacy in language learning to gain clearer insight into how it develops over time, the psychological constructs that interact with it, and the potential impact on task valuation and outcome expectancy.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Effect of Allied Brands Negative Publicity on Brand Managers' Decision-Making

This study examines why, and under what conditions, managers of focal brands decide to maintain the alliance with the partner brand when the latter is involved in negative publicity. The literature on brand alliances demonstrates the presence of crisis spillover effects on each partner in the case of negative publicity, suggesting dropping the offending brand to avoid any bad associations related to the negative publicity. However, research evidence on such negative effects in the B2B context is scarce. Drawing on attribution theory and reasoning style, this paper shows through two experiments (Study 1, N = 100; Study 2, N = 160) how the high (vs. low) severity of the allied brand's negative publicity activates an internal causal attribution process, which leads managers of focal brands to drop the offending partner. However, when brand managers are characterized by an analytic (vs. holistic) reasoning style, this path is overturned. Adopting a managerial perspective regarding the implications of negative publicity for B2B relationships, this study provides new insights into how the severity of partner brand negative publicity influences managers' decision-making, via casual attribution. The paper thus offers managers actionable guidelines (i.e., enhancing the analytic reasoning style) to reduce the risk of terminating a profitable alliance.

How politics constrain the public’s understanding of terrorism

Abstract Far-right domestic terrorism is a major threat to US national security. Despite this reality, conservative policymakers have downplayed the threat of right-wing violence while arguing that far-left violence (from groups like Antifa) is a more pressing concern. Drawing on attribution theory and research on politically motivated reasoning, we suggest that politics constrain the American public’s understanding of terrorism by shaping casual attributions for it. Using data from an experiment within a national survey (n = 700), we examine how political views moderate attributions made for the actions of far-right, far-left, and Islamist terrorism. We find that causal attributions for terrorism depend on the type of terrorist considered, with external attributions (motivated by injustice or oppression) endorsed most strongly for Islamist terrorists and internal attributions (motivated by hate or evil) endorsed most strongly for far-right terrorists. Furthermore, political views moderate this effect such that people believe terrorism committed by politically aligned groups is motivated less by the internal characteristics of the terrorists and more by external factors. Taken together, these findings may help to explain partisan differences in moral outrage over politically motivated terrorism.

Optimization of Homoeopathy in the management of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: Clinical Case Series

Background & Objectives: Psychological fragility caused to human life has been the largest aftermath of the pandemic posing a raised public health concern globally. This psychological impact is identified as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which was the most commonly diagnosed psychological disorder during this pandemic. These cases, if left untreated and unidentified may take a devastating transformation into psychotic disorders and cause gross damage to the individual and the community by disrupting human relations. Keeping in view the beneficial role of Homoeopathy in dealing with psychological disorders based on its philosophy and previous studies, a clinical case series of 10 PTSD cases successfully treated with Homoeopathy during this pandemic are presented here.
 Method: 10 cases of PTSD consulted during the first wave of pandemic diagnosed based on the clinical picture analogous to PTSD cluster symptomatology from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) and objectively through Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) were treated with Homoeopathic intervention. Homeopathic medicine was prescribed based on the totality of each case through repertorization and in consultation with the sourcebooks of Homoeopathic Materia Medica (HMM). The cases were followed monthly for clinical improvement and every three months using the CAPS-5 score. The outcome was assessed after six months clinically and objectively through the CAPS-5 score. At the end of one year, further to assess the casual attribution of clinical outcome to homoeopathic intervention, validated MONARCH (Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homoeopathy) tool was utilized.
 Results: The 10 diagnosed PTSD cases showed marked improvement assessed after one year of Homoeopathic treatment. Significant improvement was found in the clinical picture affirmed through CAPS-5 score and MONARCH tool.
 Conclusion: Homoeopathic medicines showed a significantly beneficial role in the management of PTSD during the pandemic in the presented 10 cases. Further validation through well-designed clinical trials is warranted.

Unhappiness and casual attributions of homelessness among people living homeless in León (Nicaragua).

Nicaragua is one of the countries with the lowest levels of development in Latin America, with a collectivist culture, where information on people in a homeless situation is very limited. The study examines a sample of people living homeless in the city of León (Nicaragua), their level of overall happiness, their future expectations, their perception of the evolution of their situation, their causal attributions of homelessness, and the aspects they believe are most important for overcoming their situation. Forty-one of the 68 homeless people contacted in León (Nicaragua) responded to a structured interview. The results show that the interviewees reported very low levels of overall happiness, although their future expectations were positive. The interviewees attributed homelessness situation (their own and other people's) primarily to individualistic causes and problems in family relationships, and they had a tendency to consider both themselves and other people living homeless responsible for their homelessness. The results are compared to the data obtained using similar methodologies and instruments for people living homeless in Madrid (Spain) and trash pickers in León (Nicaragua)-two groups in situations of extreme poverty and social exclusion.

Getting a no-reply is also a reply: An investigation of unreplied consumer attributions

No-replies are common in everyday life, especially when individuals interact in online platforms. When consumers participate in the marketplace and interact with sellers or other consumers, they may encounter various kinds of outcomes. Sometimes offerings may succeed, while other times they are explicitly declined. But it is also possible that offerings and requests are unreplied where no explicit acceptance or rejection response is given. This paper examines the hypothesis that no-replies lead consumers to stronger behavioral intentions than negative replies, through different casual attributions. Consumers make attributions to infer causal explanations, based on the type of reply they get from others consumers. Across our studies, we evidence the effect of no-reply on several contexts and reveal the mediating role of attributions on the influence of no-replies on behavioral intentions. The results also suggest that no-replies lead people to higher attribution of self-responsibility to the outcome than negative reply, however, company’s apologies for consumer’s no-reply overturn the effect. Finally, considering that individuals do not require much effort for a no-reply and effort is a proxy for interest, it generates worse attributions.

An examination of stigmatising attributions about mental illness amongst police custody staff

Individuals who enter police custody may experience mental illness, making it highly imperative for custody staff to be knowledgeable and competent in this area- however, reports suggest this is not always the case (Leese & Russell, 2017). The present study examined the differences in casual attributions and stereotypes of individuals experiencing mental illnesses, mainly, schizophrenia between police custody staff (n = 77) and members of the general population (n = 85). Using the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-27; Corrigan, 2004), the current study found that the general population held more negative attitudes towards individuals experiencing mental illnesses than police custody staff. In particular they endorsed the attributions anger, avoidance, dangerousness and fear. Custody staff were found to help vulnerable adults more than the general population. In addition, people who knew a family member or friend experiencing a mental illness scored higher on the help and pity attributions. Furthermore, police custody staff highlighted that additional training around mental health would be beneficial to their job role. Further development of an adequate measurement of attitudes of police custody staff towards mental health needs developing in order to put in place effective training.

Perception, understanding, and action: attitudes of climate change in the Hungarian population

This study is based on a non-representative, national level survey sample whose main purpose is to interpret the general population’s understanding of climate change. The study also provides an examination of correlations between climate change concerns and the taking of individual action as well as the relationship between pro-environmental thinking and climate change scepticism. Our results show a moderate correlation between the general population’s concerns and the professional views on the subject, known in the literature as the New Environmental Paradigm scale and Scepticism scale, but a significantly weaker correlation when it comes to taking action against climate change. Factors relating to the respondents, such as residence settlement type, education level, gender, age, personal and social values, or casual attributions in relation to climate change heavily influence this weaker correlation. Most respondents assessed climate change as a current (urgent), but geographically remote phenomenon. This is a clear indication of problems associated with cognitive conceptualization and the localization of climate change in communication. The target audience must be taken into account when designing climate change communications because interpretations of climate change can vary widely and cover a broad range attitudes ranging from concern about to issue all the way to climate change scepticism. This also applies to views concerning responsibility for climate change with some believing it is a political responsibility and others believing it is a scientific responsibility.

CULTIVATING IMAGES OF POLITICAL FIGURES OF THE PAST IN THE MINDS OF THE BROADER POPULATION

The article analyzes the process of cultivating images of politicians of the past and determines its specifics as well as factors influencing the formation of the images. It concludes that the image of a politician of the past is formed mainly within the general framework of political image making. In this process, mechanisms of stereotyping, categorization and casual attribution are used. The image is created by means of visualization and verbal practices. It is formed on conscious and subconscious levels, due to which its nature is ambivalent. The image exists in the form of verbal codes and symbols and contains both rational and emotional components. Image characteristics of political figures of the past are manifested greatly through visualization. In most cases, the lack of authentic visualization of a person’s appearance causes the audience to refer to stereotypes in order to complete the image. Moreover, building the image of a historical figure is significantly less often based on the personal experience of the target audience. Finally, the image creator has access to a wider set of nominations, within which the character is positioned. This becomes possible due to the elements of national mythology, based on the archetypes of mass consciousness, and the sacred nature of the historical epic stories centered around the political figure in question.

Czech gamblers view on luck as the cause of uncontrollable events

The belief in deterministic luck is considered to be one of the factors contributing to maintenance of gambling behavior. This belief was found to be stronger during the gamble situation in problematic gamblers than non-problematic. The present study deals with the difference in luck attribution between the Czech gamblers and the control group. The main goal was to find out whether the difference between belief in luck is also present in non-gamble situation. A questionnaire containing the Belief in luck and luckiness scale and 14 stories of uncontrollable events was administered to 30 pathological gamblers and 30 matched participant (by age, education, gender and nationality), who did not play any hazard games regularly. In uncontrollable events participants chose from non-material causes (luck, chance, god, destiny) one they believed to be the best fit. Results have shown a statistically significant difference between gamblers and control group in the way of attributing the causes. Control group has chosen significantly more “chance” option meanwhile gamblers opted for luck, God and destiny. There was no statistically significant difference in explicitly formulated belief in luck. It seems that the stronger casual attribution of luck, god and destiny in pathological gamblers compared to non-gamblers are not restricted only to gaming situations. Rather we can find it in other uncontrollable events as well. The absence of the difference between patients and control group in explicit belief in luck measured by questionnaire could be pointing to the stronger effect of the treatment for explicit belief than for more subtle causal attributing.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Sociocultural Factors Associated with Caregiver-Psychiatrist Relationship in Taiwan.

ObjectiveResearch on sociocultural factors associated caregiver-provider relationship is needed to enhance family involvement in psychiatric care. This study examines from the caregiver's perspective the associations of schizophrenia attributions, stigmatization, and caregiving experiences with caregiver-psychiatrist working relationship in Taiwan.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of 152 Taiwanese family caregivers of persons diagnosed with schizophrenia, recruited from a grassroots organization, 4 community mental health rehabilitation centers and 2 psychiatric hospitals between July 2012 and March 2013. Multiple linear regression models were used for analysis.ResultsBiological attribution was positively associated with perceived family collaboration, and so was environmental attribution with perceived informational support. Internalized stigma was negatively associated with perceived family collaboration. Caregiving rewards were positively related to both perceived family collaboration and informational support, and so was experience of problems with services to perceived family collaboration.ConclusionThe examination of family perceptions informs Western psychiatric care providers of the importance of culturally sensitive practices in developing an effective working relationship with family caregivers, particularly in regards to caregivers' casual attributions, impact of stigma, and caregiving experiences.

The Role of Airline Travelers’ Pre-Recovery Emotions during the Service Recovery Process

ABSTRACTThis study examines (1) the relationships between airline travelers’ casual attribution (stability and controllability), pre-recovery emotions, post-recovery emotions, and overall satisfaction; and (2) analyzes the mediating effect of pre-recovery emotions on the relationship between causal attribution and post-recovery emotions. Theoretical hypotheses were derived based on a literature review, and to empirically test the hypotheses, data were collected from 210 airline travelers in Malaysia. These respondents were airline travelers who experienced some service failure and relevant service recovery within the past year. According to the results, the two dimensions of casual attribution both influenced pre-recovery emotions. Pre-recovery emotions were significantly related to positive and negative post-recovery emotions, and post-recovery emotions were significantly related to overall satisfaction. In addition, pre-recovery emotions moderated the relationship between casual attribution and post-recovery emotions. These results have important practical implications.

A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Investigate Negative Word of Mouth Impact on Customer-Based Brand Equity: Does Attribution Matter?

There is a shortage in the research which addresses the relationship between negative word of mouth (WOM) communication and customer-based brand equity dilution. This research utilizes attribution theory to demonstrate the negative word-of-mouth impact on the customer-based brand equity. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the proposed effect of negative WOM on brand equity. The study sample consists of 71 post-graduate students, the object of negative WOM was laptops which considered a highly involvement product. Experimental investigation results reveal that customer exposure to negative word-of-mouth increases the brand equity dilution. Results were discussed in the light of casual attribution theory, and practical implications were provided.

Influences of attribution and stigma on working relationships with providers practicing Western psychiatry in the Taiwanese context.

This study examined influences of causal attributions of schizophrenia and perceived and internalized mental illness stigma on perceived working alliance with, and informational support received from doctors practicing Western psychiatry in the Taiwanese social-cultural context. This cross-sectional quantitative study used a non-probability, purposive sampling technique to recruit 212 Taiwanese diagnosed with schizophrenia from Taiwanese Alliance of the Mentally Ill, 4 community mental health rehabilitation centres and 2 psychiatric hospitals between July 2012 and March 2013. Linear regression models were used for analysis. The results showed that environmental attributions were positively associated with both perceived working alliance and perceived informational support, while supernatural attributions were negatively associated with perceived working alliance and perceived informational support. Perceived stigma had a negative association with perceived working alliance. The discrimination domain of internalized stigma specifically had a positive association with perceived working alliance, while the withdraw domain had a negative association with perceived informational support. Findings inform the importance of culturally sensitive practices in developing an effective working relationship. Western psychiatric care providers need to explore consumers' casual attributions of mental illness and understand the impact of stigma so that providers may successfully engage consumers in care and provide tailored illness education and information.

Does travellers’ casual attribution affect pre-recovery emotions and behavioural intentions? A field study of airline travellers in Malaysia

This study examines the relationship between airline travellers' casual attribution, pre-recovery emotions, and negative behavioural intentions after a service failure and proposes a model for analysing direct effects of airline travellers' casual attribution of stability (failure frequency) and controllability (the extent to which the airline can control the failure) on negative behavioural intentions as well as its indirect effects through pre-recovery emotions. Data were gathered through a survey of airline travellers who experienced a failure in the past six months. The results indicate that both dimensions of casual attribution influenced pre-recovery emotions and negative behavioural intentions, and that pre-recovery emotions were significantly related to negative behavioural intentions. In addition, the results verify the mediating effect of pre-recovery emotions on the relationship between casual attribution and behavioural intentions. These results have important managerial implications.

How Russian teachers, mothers and school psychologists perceive internalising and externalising behaviours in children

This study examined the perception of children’s internalising and externalising behaviours by Russian teachers, mothers and school psychologists. The participants rated their agreement about the causes, seriousness and recommended interventions for the problem behaviour of a fictitious girl/boy described in two vignettes. Mixed ANOVAs indicated that all the respondents attributed externalising behaviours to social causes to a greater degree than internalising behaviours. Compared to mothers and psychologists, teachers perceived both types of behaviours as more serious; however, they downplayed their own role in the child’s problems. Psychological help was more popular among school psychologists than among mothers. Correlational analyses demonstrated problem- and respondent-specific associations between casual attributions and recommended interventions. Implications for educational practice are discussed.

The Effectiveness of Teaching Using Circuit Training Method in the Development of Some Physical and Physiological Performance Requirements Among Sport Students in the Baccalaureate Competition

The purpose of this study is to explore the orientations of achievement responsibility (internal and external). Moreover, exploring the effect of an instructional program and the level of achievement among female students to modify the orientations from external to internal among higher basic stage students. To achieve this aim, the researchers developed an achievement responsibility scale and an instructional program based on the casual attribution theory of Weiner to modify the orientations of achievement responsibility. A sample of (72) female students assigned randomly either to the control or excremental group. The findings showed that the orientation of achievement responsibility were external for all students in the pre measure, moreover, there was a significant statistical difference (α = 0.05) in the orientation of achievement responsibility in the post measurement according to group variable for the favor of the experimental group, and there were no significant statistical differences at (α = 0.05) according to achievement level and interaction between group and achievement level. In other words, the program managed to change students achievement responsibility from external to internal.