Differences In Attributional Style Research Articles

Exploring the relationship between attributional style measured in virtual reality and bullying among children at familial high risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder compared with controls

BackgroundChildren of parents with severe mental illness report bullying more often compared with controls. We hypothesized that deviations in attributional styles may explain the increased prevalence of bullying experiences. We aimed to assess real-time responses to standardized ambiguous social situations, bullying experiences by children, their primary caregivers, and teachers, and to investigate potential associations between attributional styles and bullying. MethodThe study included 465 children aged 11–12, born to parents with schizophrenia, N =179, bipolar disorder, N = 105, or population-based controls, N = 181. Attributional style was evaluated using virtual reality environments depicting ambiguous social everyday situations. We created a tailored assessment since no suitable assessments were found. Bullying was assessed through self-reports and reports from primary caregivers and teachers. ResultsWe observed no group differences in the attributional style of the children. Reports from children, primary caregivers, and teachers revealed that compared with controls, children born to parents with schizophrenia were more likely to perceive bullying victimization, with high consistency among reports. No associations were found between bullying reports and attributional style. ConclusionsChildren of parents with schizophrenia consistently experienced more bullying, as reported by the children themselves, primary caregivers, and teachers. No differences in attributional style were found, indicating that attributional style did not explain the increased prevalence of bullying reports. While it cannot be ruled out that our virtual environments were insufficient to trigger a sense of social exclusion, the results suggest that the observed differences in reported bullying are genuine and not a result of the child's attributional style.

The profile of unusual beliefs associated with metacognitive thinking and attributional styles.

Cognitive interpretations of daily events may differ in people from the general population who hold unusual beliefs. It is also important to understand whether different belief profiles exist to appreciate which patterns of beliefs are less psychologically healthy. Cluster analysis was used to form unusual belief profiles in a general population sample (n = 578; M age = 22 years, SD = 6.98; 80% female) across paranoid, paranormal, and magical ideation beliefs, and we assessed whether they differed in attribution style and metacognitive beliefs about worry. Four clusters were formed: low on all measures (low all); high on all measures (high all); comparably higher on paranormal beliefs (paranormal group); and comparably higher on paranoid beliefs (paranoid group). For total Metacognitions Questionnaire‐30, the high all and high paranoid clusters did not differ, and both clusters scored higher than the high paranormal group, who all scored higher than the low all cluster. For attributional styles (Attributional Styles Questionnaire), lower scores on internal positive attribution were found for the high all and high paranoid clusters compared to the low all and high paranormal clusters. The high paranormal cluster had higher scores than the high paranoid cluster on self‐serving bias. Differences in attributional style appeared to be driven by mental health diagnosis. Our results suggest different profiles of unusual beliefs are detectable in the general population that differ in their metacognitive beliefs and perceived causation of events in their environment. Future studies investigating delusional proneness need to consider multiple unusual beliefs as well as assessing mood state and distress.

Perceptions and experiences of female burn survivors with facial disfigurement

PurposeThis study aimed at exploring the perceptions and experiences of female burn survivors with facial disfigurement in Pakistan. MethodsTwo different quantitative and qualitative studies were conducted, of which the data were collected from 100 burn patients. A pilot interview protocol was developed. An indepth interview of five female burn survivors with facial disfigurement was taken in Lahore, Pakistan. The transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis and four major themes were identified, respectively physical appearance, posttraumatic growth, relationships and coping strategies. ResultsThematic analysis reflected differences in attributional style, perceptions and individual experiences of female burn survivors with facial disfigurement. The study showed the importance of physical appearance for different burn survivors and how their life had changed after suffering from a burn injury. ConclusionIt could be easy to have a positive outlook towards life and accept visible differences post injury for the burn survivors, who are grateful for life, get a strong family support and have available resources. On the contrary, with low self-esteem, lack of a family support and available resources, patients would be dissatisfied with their life.

A psychometric investigation of the Chinese version of the Internal, Personal and Situational Attributions Questionnaire (C-IPSAQ)

The IPSAQ is a self-administered instrument designed to evaluate individuals’ attributional style (AS). The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Internal, Personal and Situational Attributions Questionnaire (C-IPSAQ). We also investigate if patients with depression and patients with delusions exhibit attributional biases. The English version of IPSAQ was translated into Chinese and back-translated into English for use in this study. 200 normal control individuals, 47 depressed patients, and 41 delusional patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited for this study. Psychometric properties of this questionnaire were evaluated. The IPSAQ was found to have good internal consistency as a scale. The mean Cronbach’s alpha of the six subscales was 0.697. The inter-rater reliability was also acceptable. The concurrent validity analysis revealed that the C-IPSAQ was significantly correlated with ASQ. The group-comparison analyses showed differences in attributional style between patients with depression and patients with delusions compared to normal controls. We confirmed the reliability and validity of the C-IPSAQ, and that the instrument can discriminate specific attributional biases between different patient populations. The C-IPSAQ is a valid instrument to assess attributional style in delusional and depressed patients.

Attributions and Perception of Methylphenidate Effects in Adolescents With ADHD

Objective: Although a number of studies demonstrate that children with ADHD do not attribute their behavior to taking medication, it remains unstudied whether adolescents, who have a longer history of taking medication for ADHD, show performance attributions to medication. Method: A sample of 46 adolescents completed daily attributions for success or failure as a part of their participation in a summer treatment program with a double-blind, placebo-controlled assessment of methylphenidate. Results: Results demonstrated that adolescents with ADHD did not reliably discern active medication from placebo, rarely attributed their performance to the pill, and showed no differences in attributional style as a function of medication status. Conclusion: These data indicate that adolescents with ADHD may possess inaccurate beliefs about the effect of stimulant medication on their behavior.

Social cognition across stages and forms of schizophrenia

IntroductionSocial cognition is considered as a main predictor of functional outcomes and a candidate for endophenotype of schizophrenia. We hypothesize that social cognition capacities follow the course of schizophrenia as a progredient disorder.ObjectiveTo investigate social cognition across different groups of patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.AimsTo evaluate social cognitive impairments in patients with first episode psychoses (FEP), chronic schizophrenia (CS) and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD).MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, 71 patients with FEP, CS and SSD were assessed with a battery of clinical and social cognitive tests. Three key social cognitive domains were assessed: emotion perception, Theory of Mind and attributional style.ResultsPatients with schizoaffective disorder and schizotypal disorder showed better scores in Hinting task (mean ranks: 47.0 and 39.9 respectively) than patients with less favourable forms of schizophrenia (mean ranks: 24.7 and 30.2 respectively) (P = 0.003). Patients with FEP showed better results in Hinting task (18.1 ± 2.4) versus CS patients (17.4 ± 2.0) (P < 0.05). No differences in emotion perception (Ekman-60 task) among FEP and CS patients were detected. Patients with schizoaffective disorder showed better scores in emotional processing comparing to all forms of schizophrenia patients (mean ranks 49.1 vs. 30.1, 34.5, 28.0, P < 0.05). No significant differences in attributional style were registered.ConclusionsEmotion perception and Theory of Mind domains show different level of impairment across FEP and CS patients and across forms of schizophrenia. Further longitudinal studies to establish how social cognition domains mirror the course and severity of schizophrenia and SSD are needed.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

A preliminary investigation into theory of mind and attributional style in adults with grandiose delusions

Introduction. A preliminary cognitive model of grandiose delusions has been put forward suggesting that persecutory and grandiose delusions shared distinct, yet overlapping psychological processes. This study aims to test this model and hypothesises that participants experiencing grandiose delusions may demonstrate a theory of mind (ToM) impairment and differences in attributional style compared to a control group.Methods. A cross-sectional design compared the performance of 18 individuals with grandiose delusions to a control group of 14 participants with depression. ToM was measured using a non-verbal joke appreciation task and a verbal stories task. Attributional style was measured using the internal, personal and situational attributions questionnaire.Results. Participants experiencing grandiose delusions performed significantly worse on both ToM tasks compared to controls. Furthermore, these participants provided significantly more atypical answers when explaining the joke behind the ToM cartoons. No differences for subjective funniness ratings or attributional style were found.Conclusions. This preliminary study indicated participants experiencing grandiose delusions have ToM impairments which may contribute to the maintenance of this symptom.

Individual differences in attributional style but not in interoceptive sensitivity, predict subjective estimates of action intention.

The debate on the existence of free will is on-going. Seminal findings by Libet et al. (1983) demonstrate that subjective awareness of a voluntary urge to act (the W-judgment) occurs before action execution. Libet’s paradigm requires participants to perform voluntary actions while watching a clock hand rotate. On response trials, participants make a retrospective judgment related to awareness of their urge to act. This research investigates the relationship between individual differences in performance on the Libet task and self-awareness. We examined the relationship between W-judgment, attributional style (AS; a measure of perceived control) and interoceptive sensitivity (IS; awareness of stimuli originating from one’s body; e.g., heartbeats). Thirty participants completed the AS questionnaire (ASQ), a heartbeat estimation task (IS), and the Libet paradigm. The ASQ score significantly predicted performance on the Libet task, while IS did not – more negative ASQ scores indicated larger latency between W-judgment and action execution. A significant correlation was also observed between ASQ score and IS. This is the first research to report a relationship between W-judgment and AS and should inform the future use of electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate the relationship between AS, W-judgment and RP onset. Our findings raise questions surrounding the importance of one’s perceived control in determining the point of conscious intention to act. Furthermore, we demonstrate possible negative implications associated with a longer period between conscious awareness and action execution.

Attributional Style and Theory of Mind in People with Alzheimer Disease and Persecutory Delusions

<h3>Objective</h3> Between 7% and 40% of people with Alzheimer disease (AD) experience persecutory delusions (PDs) during the course of their dementia. Although attributional style and theory of mind processes have been linked with PDs in people with psychosis, they have not yet been examined in those with AD and PDs. The objective of this study was, hence, to explore the role of these cognitive processes in groups of participants with AD with and without PDs, as well as a nonclinical comparison group. <h3>Method</h3> Measures of attributional style and theory of mind were administered to three groups: people with AD and PDs (n = 22), people with AD without PDs (n = 22), and a nonclinical group (n = 23). <h3>Results</h3> Although no clear differences in attributional style between the three groups were found, the group with AD and PDs were found to perform worse on the first-order (but not second-order) theory of mind task than the other two groups. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Interventions designed to enhance theory of mind skills might be beneficial for individuals with AD and PDs.

Prevention of internalizing disorders in 9–10 year old children: efficacy of the Aussie Optimism Positive Thinking Skills Program at 30-month follow-up

The Aussie Optimism: Positive Thinking Skills Program (AOPTP) is a school-based prevention program aimed at addressing anxious and depressive symptoms in children aged 9–10 years. Nine-hundred and ten students from 22 Australian primary schools situated in low socio-economic areas were randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group, and assessed at a 30-month follow up. Those in the intervention group received the AOPTP program, where the control group continued to receive the regular health education course. Students completed self-report measures regarding their levels of depression, anxiety, and attribution style. Parents also reported on their children's externalizing and internalizing problems outside of school. There were no significant differences between groups in regard to anxiety or depression, as well as no significant differences in attributional styles. Parents reported significantly less hyperactive behaviors from children in the intervention group. This finding suggests that AOP-PTS has the capacity to treat externalizing problems at a medium term effect. The decrease in the externalizing problems provides evidence of a partial medium term intervention effect. Future studies should continue to evaluate the program at a long term follow up.

Explaining the Chinese Preference for Conflict Avoiding: An Exploration of Five Alternative Models

This paper develops five alternative models for Chinese-American differences in conflict avoiding tendencies, and test them using a scenario study with respondents from Taiwan and the U.S. Our results show that, contrary to expectations, differences in the expected career costs/benefits of good/bad relations with others does not explain Chinese-American differences in conflict avoiding, nor do differences in attributional styles. The most important explanation for differences in avoiding is strong social norms that favor avoiding among Chinese. In addition, Chinese prefer avoiding more than Americans due to their expectation that direct expressions of conflict would damage the relationship and the greater value they place in having good relationships, as well as due to lower confidence in their own conflict management skills. The Chinese preference for avoiding, then, is not a matter of rational utility maximizing, but rather is an expression of deeply-held values and norms.

Individual differences in attributional style

The purpose of this study was to expand on achievement attribution research by investigating the relationship between individual differences in attributional styles for success and failure and sex, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and sex role identity. A sample of 163 undergraduate students at a large midwestern university completed a test packet containing the Attributional Style Questionnaire, the Self-Efficacy Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Multiple correlation and regression analyses were used to analyze their responses. Results indicated that masculinity and self-esteem were important in the prediction of the adaptive success attributions of women and masculinity was important in the prediction of the adaptive success attributions of men, however, sex and femininity had little relationship with success and failure attributions. Masculinity was the best unique predictor of attributional styles for success and failure. In addition, better prediction occurred for attributional styles for success than attributional styles for failure. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are made.

Self-Schema and Attributions for an Exercise Lapse

Undergraduate exerciser schematics (n = 115) and aschematics (n = 41) described the circumstances surrounding their most recent lapses in exercising and in telephoning friends and family, and the reason(s) for each lapse. They then rated those reasons in regard to their stability, locus of causality, and globality. Participants also completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire (Peterson et al., 1982). Results revealed that aschematics made more stable attributions for an exercise lapse than did schematics. However, the 2 groups did not differ in either the stability of their attributions for a telephoning lapse or their attributional style for negative events; these data ruled out the possibility that attributional differences for exercise lapses were due to differences in attributional style.

Self-Schema and Attributions for an Exercise Lapse

Undergraduate exerciser schematics (n = 115) and aschematics (n = 41) described the circumstances surrounding their most recent lapses in exercising and in telephoning friends and family, and the reason(s) for each lapse. They then rated those reasons in regard to their stability, locus of causality, and globality. Participants also completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire (Peterson et al., 1982). Results revealed that aschematics made more stable attributions for an exercise lapse than did schematics. However, the 2 groups did not differ in either the stability of their attributions for a telephoning lapse or their attributional style for negative events; these data ruled out the possibility that attributional differences for exercise lapses were due to differences in attributional style.

Refining the Explanation of Cotard’s Delusion

Recent work in cognitive neuropsychiatry explains the Capgras and Cotard delusions as alternative explanations of unusual qualitative states caused by dam‐age to an affective component of the face recognition system. The difference between the delusions results from differences in attributional style. Cotard patients typically exhibit a style of internal attribution associated with depression, while Capgras patients exhibit the external attribution style more typical of paranoia. Thus the Cotard patient attributes her condition to drastic changes in herself and the Capgras patient attributes the same changes to alterations in the environment. I suggest three modifications to this explanation. Firstly, the nature of the affective deficit in Cotard cases may be more global than in Capgras cases, resulting from the diffuse effects of the neurochemical substrate of depression. Secondly, this explanation gives us additional insight into the content of the delusion. It is unsurprising that persons whose global affective responses were suppressed would explain their lack of response by saying that they had no bodily existence. Finally I suggest that in Cotard cases the delusion is produced by a reasoning deficit, rather than attributional style.

Un estudio acerca de las diferencias de género en la resolución de problemas científicos

This paper analyses the possible differences between Spanish secondary-school students (girls and boys) in solving mathematical and chemical tasks including relevant concepts and procedures from the curriculum in both areas. We study the effects of different variables on performances such as age and instruction level of subjects and the content and type of task. We also examine the relationship between the performance of boys and girls in chemical and mathematical tasks and their cognitive (Field Dependence/Independence) and attributional styles. We present the tasks to four groups: 13 and 15 year old adolescents, 17 year old adolescents without chemical training and 17 year old adolescents with chemical training. Within each group, half of the subjects were boys and half were girls. The results show differences in performance between boys and girls in solving mathematical and chemical tasks. In general, male performance is higher than female performance. However, these differences are not uniform: they change with age and type of instruction and with the content ant type of task. On the other hand, the data show no differences between boys and girls and cognitive style (Field Dependence/Independence). Likewise, the results reveal sex differences in attributional styles, although they are not correlated with the performance.

AN ATTRIBUTIONAL ANALYSIS OF JURORS' JUDGMENTS IN A CRIMINAL CASE: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

A study was conducted to determine the extent to which attributional complexity influences juror decision-making. Using Fletcher's (1986) attributional complexity scale, mock jurors (N=186), who were shown a videotape of a simulated armed robbery, then rendered individual judgments on the case. The results showed that attributionally-simple subjects found the defendant guilty more often both before and after presentation of the evidence, reported more confidence in their final decision, and attributed more personal causes to the defendant's behavior. Attributionally-complex subjects, while not excluding the role of internal causes, were more likely to consider external causes as possible influences on the defendant's behavior. The findings demonstrate the existence of clear individual differences in attributional style and the potential importance of this variable for jury selection.

The relationship between attachment prototypes, self-esteem, loneliness and causal attributions in Chinese trainee teachers

The applicability of using the four-category model (Bartholomew and Horowitz, 1991) in classifying Chinese adults into four adult attachment prototypes: secure, dismissing, preoccupied, and fearful was explored. The impact of attachment styles on self-esteem, loneliness, and causal attribution on classroom events was also investigated. Two hundred and twenty-five student-teachers completed a self-report Attachment Style Inventory, and measures of self-esteem, loneliness, and attributional style. Results indicated that subjects with a preoccupied, dismissing, and fearful attachment were lower in self-esteem than their secure counterparts, while secure and dismissing subjects had higher self-esteem than the preoccupied group. The fearful group was the most lonely, followed by the preoccupied and then the dismissing with the secure group being the least lonely. While differences in attributional styles were found between the high self-esteem group and the low self-esteem group, the impact of attachment styles on attributional pattern was less obvious. The results suggest that the four attachment prototypes can be identified in Chinese individuals and that the quality of adult attachment has some influence on social functioning.

Differences in Emotional Responsivity and Anger in Athletes and Nonathletes: Startle Reflex Modulation and Attributional Response

Studies of sport participation that include emotional responses, particularly anger, are frequently flawed because measures consist of associative paper–pencil inventories and archival data. In the present study, startle response (an aversive reflex) was enhanced during an unpleasant emotional state and diminished in a pleasant emotional context. Nonsignificant differences on this dispositional measure between 36 athletes and nonathletes did not replicate findings differing normals and psychopaths (Patrick, Bradley, &amp; Lang, 1993) on emotional responsivity. Similarity was also apparent in experiential aspects of anger responsivity as revealed by the check for differences in attributional style. No significant intergroup differences were found in participants’ responses to realistic situations (termed vignettes), in evaluation of the anger/provocation inherent in the situation, in the reasons attributed to the “frustrater,” or in self-reported intended response. Implications for future sport research on emotional responsivity, anger and aggressive behavior are discussed.

Longitudinal investigation of the abstinence violation effect in binge eaters.

This study, guided in part by G. A. Marlatt and J. R. Gordon's (1985) abstinence violation effect (AVE) model, examined whether variability in cognitive and emotional reactions to binges accounts for recurrence of binge eating. Attributional, cognitive, and affective reactions to two successive binges, as well as the latencies between each binge and a subsequent binge, were evaluated through a series of structured phone interviews with 50 nonpurging normal-weight female bingers. Reported mood after binging was unrelated to binge latency. However, when Ss made more intense internal, global, and uncontrollable causal attributions for a binge, a subsequent binge followed significantly sooner. Within-subject variations in AVEs across binges prospectively predicted within-subject variations in the speed with which another binge followed. Analyses suggested that cognitive states (e.g., AVE and guilt) evoked by particular events were better predictors of how quickly binging repeats than were stable differences in attributional style.