Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory Research Articles

Pointing the finger: Introversion–extroversion, emotional intelligence, and neuroticism relations to judgments of transgressor blameworthiness

Cognitive heuristics research has found that in several mathematical and social-appraising situations, individuals show a strong preference for simple explanations over complex explanations when judging causation and probability. However, unlike mathematics, social contexts—such as judging blameworthiness based on a transgressor’s excuse—are convoluted situations by nature of their greater likelihood of having diverse factors to converge and affect outcomes. The present study examines whether individuals’ Emotional Intelligence (EI), neuroticism (N), and introversion–extroversion (E) levels are related to their perceptions of transgressor blameworthiness, and whether the relations are moderated by the complexity of the excuse that is given. Undergraduate students completed EPQ-R-SF items for N and E, the TEQue-SF for EI, and read three vignettes: one presenting a simple (1-component) excuse, one a moderate (3-component) excuse, and one a complex (5-component) excuse. The Revised Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory was used to assess blame ratings for the transgressor in each vignette.

Blame attribution and guilt feelings in violent offenders

Offenders with high psychopathic traits and/or antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are hypothesised to experience less guilt and less responsibility for their actions than offenders without these problems. These hypotheses were tested and partly substantiated. The study investigates blame attributions and guilt feeling using Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory–Revised (GBAI-R) for 177 young male violent offenders. GBAI scores were compared to ASPD and psychopathy according to the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised. Results showed that individuals with ASPD and those with higher degrees of psychopathy tended to report significantly less guilt and higher degree of mental control than other subjects. Another finding was a weak relationship between ASPD, high scores on psychopathic traits and external attribution. We suggest these results might be explained by admitting poor mental control may be extra difficult for individuals belonging to either of these groups and that the external attribution items do not separate causal from moral responsibility.

Attribution of blame for criminal acts and its relationship with psychopathy as measured by the Hare Psychopathic Checklist (PCL-SV)

The concept of psychopathy describes disordered individuals as lacking in responsibility and feelings of guilt for their actions. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between blame attribution (measured by the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory- Revised – GBAI-R) and psychopathy (measured by the Hare Psychopathic Checklist-Revised – PCL-SV) among mentally disordered offenders. It was hypothesised that psychopathy would correlate positively with external attribution of blame and negatively with feelings of guilt. Participants were 67 males from six medium secure units in the south east of England. A significant positive correlation was found between psychopathy (Factor 1 and Total score) and external attribution of blame, but not between psychopathy and feelings of guilt. The findings suggest that external attribution of blame is more associated with the interpersonal, affective and attitudinal factors of psychopathy (i.e. social–cognitive processes) than behavioural aspects (i.e. poor behavioural control).

Offence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and guilt in mentally disordered violent and sexual offenders

The aim of this research was to investigate trauma symptomatology specifically related to perpetrating a violent offence in a sample of mentally disordered offenders. We were particularly interested in measuring the association between offence-related guilt cognitions and offence-related trauma symptomatology. Data were collected from 45 inpatients at a regional and local secure unit. The measures administered were the Detailed Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress, the Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory, the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Other factors, including age, diagnosis, severity of the violent act, substance misuse and psychosis at the time of the offence, and relationship to the victim, were considered in relation to both trauma symptomatology and guilt cognitions. Results indicate that higher levels of trauma symptomatology are associated with higher levels of guilt cognitions. This remained significant once variance associated with offence severity and negative affect was accounted for. The results are discussed and the implications for assessment and treatment of this client group are considered.

It was not me: Attribution of blame for criminal acts in psychiatric offenders

The current article addresses the psychometric qualities of the German Version of Gudjonsson's Blame Attribution Inventory (GBAI), a self-report scale for measuring attribution of blame for crime. The GBAI was administered to a criminal sample of forensic and criminal inmates ( n = 107). Findings indicate that the German version of the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory possesses acceptable test–retest stability and good internal consistency. Factor analysis reproduced the three basic dimensions of the GBAI: external attribution, mental-element attribution, and guilt-feeling attribution. Forensic patients had higher mental-element attribution and guilt-feeling attribution scores than the prison inmates. Interestingly, sexual offenders who were prisoners, showed the lowest guilt-feeling attribution, while sexual offenders who were forensic patients had the highest guilt-feeling attribution scores. Since earlier research reported a tendency of faking good in sexual offenders, we suggest that the forensic sexual offenders may demonstrate a social desirable response tendency in an attempt to gain sympathy and/or earlier parole. All in all, our data show that the German version of the GBAI is a valuable tool for measuring attributional styles of offenders.

The association between the offender–victim relationship, severity of offence and attribution of blame in mentally disordered offenders

The aim of this research was to investigate the association between the offender–victim relationship, severity of violence and attribution of blame for a violent act. Data were collected from 65 male psychiatric inpatients from two secure units. Participants were divided into three groups according to how well they knew their victim: victim well-known, victim acquaintance and victim stranger. Violent acts were further ranked according to offence severity. Participants were administered the Quick Test (QT) and the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (GBAI). Although there was a trend towards higher guilt attributions when the victim was well-known to the perpetrator, this relationship was complicated by the severity of the violent act. The most severe ranking of offence (i.e. murder/manslaughter) was most common in the offender group who knew their victim well. Furthermore, guilt-feeling attributions were highest in the most severe ranking of offence. The implications of these findings for assessment and intervention programmes are considered.

Persecutory delusions and attributions for real negative events: A study in a forensic sample

It has been proposed that individuals with persecutory delusions make excessive external attributions of cause for negative events. It remains unclear from empirical research findings whether the externalising bias is also common to other psychotic symptom presentations. Patterns of attribution of blame for offending in a sample of mentally disordered offenders with different symptom presentations were analysed retrospectively from case notes. Attributions were assessed using the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory - Revised. External attribution scores were higher in individuals with psychotic symptom presentations compared with non-psychotic disorders. A comparison between those presenting with persecutory delusions and non-persecutory psychosis revealed no significant difference in external attribution scores. An external attributional style is present in individuals with psychosis, but is not specific to persecutory delusions. There is no special role for attributional style in persecutory delusions.

Motivation for offending and personality

Purpose. The main aim of the study was to examine the relationship between motivation for offending and personality.Method. A specially constructed Offending Motivation Questionnaire (OMQ) was developed along the lines of Farrington's (1986, 1993) theoretical framework. The OMQ, the Mak Self‐Reported Delinquency Scale, the Gudjonsson Compliance Scale (GCS), the Gough Socialisation Scale, the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale, and the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (BAI‐R) were administered to two groups of students: college students and university students.Results. Factor analysis of the OMQ revealed four motivational factors for offending (Compliance, Provocation, Financial, Excitement) and one further factor associated with the failure to appreciate the consequences of the criminal act. As predicted, the GCS correlated significantly with a compliance motive (i.e. being coerced, manipulated, or tricked into crime by a peer, or eagerness to please a peer), whereas the remaining four factors were associated with a low score on the Gough Socialisation Scale. External and Mental Element attributions were mainly found to be associated with provocation and consequences factors.Conclusions. The findings support the view that there is a relationship between the motivation for offending, failure to appreciate the consequences of one's actions and personality. Further research should focus on studying this relationship among criminal populations.

Violent Women, Blame Attribution, Crime, and Personality

Background: The attribution of blame for criminal act has an impact, both on the way the offender must come to terms with the offence and on the risk of recidivism. Blame attribution has been found to be related to the type of crime and personality. Aims: This study examined the relationship of blame attribution and feelings of guilt in violent female offenders, according to factors related to crime, background and personality. Methods: The Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (BAI) and the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) were administered to 58 violent female offenders. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), Structured Clinical Interview II for DSM-IV (SCID II) and clinical interviews were used for assessment. Results: Lower scores of guilt feelings were found in women than has been reported for men. The feelings of guilt were higher in homicide than in other violent crimes, but lower in the cases where women had committed prior violent crimes. No differences were found between psychiatric patients and prisoners. The duration of hospitalisation and incarceration did not result in differences in blame attribution and guilt, but when the victims survived, guilt feelings seemed to increase with the passing of the time. External attribution was related to motives of crime, but traumatic experiences did not have a crucial impact upon blame attribution. The attribution of blame and the amount of guilt feelings were found to be related to personality. Women scoring high on psychopathy reported less guilt than women with low scores. The corresponding result was not obtained in the group of women with antisocial personality disorder, who, however, showed an unexpectedly low use of external attribution. Conclusion: The results suggest that it might be difficult for women to cope with the violent offence and that the characteristics of psychopathy seems to have a crucial impact on the guilt feelings and consequently on coping with the crime in female offenders.

Blame attribution regarding index offence on admission to secure hospital services

Assessment by psychologists is part of the routine multi-disciplinary admission process to secure facilities for those with a diagnosis of severe mental illness and an offending history. Non-engagement with the assessment process is a common clinical phenomenon. Using a survey design, we report on the administration of the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory, (a questionnaire which elicits causal attributions about offending), where possible, to a cohort of consecutive admissions to a medium secure unit, and a maximum security hospital. Reasons for non-compliance with the assessment process are examined. The responses of those who completed a series of questionnaires are compared using unit, sex, ethnicity, diagnosis and index offence as group variables. With regard to attribution of blame for index offence, contrary to prediction, those with a history of psychosis, rather than personality disorder, obtained higher external attribution scores. The implications of these findings for the assessment of blame and guilt feelings during the early stages of admission to a secure mental health service, and possible treatment implications, are considered.

The relationship between attribution of blame for a violent act and EPQ-R sub-scales in male offenders with mental disorder

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality, depression and attribution of blame for a violent act. Data was collected from 65 male inpatients from two Medium Secure Units. All participants had committed an act of a violent nature. Participants were administered the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (GBAI), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Results were generally supportive of previous research findings. Guilt attributions were negatively correlated with psychoticism scores, external attributions were positively correlated with psychoticism scores and mental element attributions were positively correlated with neuroticism scores, on the EPQ-R. A trend was further observed between higher guilt attributions and increased depression scores.

The role of personality and blame attribution in prisoners' experiences of anger

The emotion of anger has gained researchers' interest in recent years [Novaco (1994) In: J. Monahan & M. J. Steadman (Eds.), Violence and mental disorder: developments in risk assessment. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press; (1997) Legal and Criminological Psychology, 2, 77]. However, it is still unclear what influences the expression of anger. The current study investigated the relationship between anger, personality and blame attribution in Icelandic prisoners. Sixty-nine male offenders completed the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the Novaco Anger Scale. No differences were found in the anger levels of violent/non-violent offenders. Results indicated that recidivism, psychoticism and neuroticism were predictive of anger levels, but no relationship was found between blame attribution and anger. The findings of this study suggest that in terms of anger management programmes in prison, it might be advantageous to target repeat offenders and take into account personality factors that seem to influence anger.

The relationship between general and specific attribution of blame for a "serious" act and the role of personality

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between two inventories that measure attribution of blame for a ?serious? act and the instruments' reliability and validity. These were the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (BAI) and the Attribution of Blame Scale (ABS). Whereas the BAI is completed in relation to a specific ?criminal? act, the ABS aims to measure attribution of blame as a general characteristic of the individual. The two instruments were completed by 82 Icelandic undergraduate students, who also completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the Eysenck Impulsiveness Questionnaire (IVE). External attribution on the ABS correlated significantly with both external and mental attributions on the BAI, but the correlations were low. BAI attribution scores were significantly higher for ?interpersonal? than ?impersonal? acts. EPQ psychoticism was positively correlated with external attribution on the BAI and negatively with a feeling of remorse. Internal attribution on the ABS was negatively associated with psychoticism, impulsivity, and venturesomeness. The ABS, in contrast to the BAI, may predominantly reflect how the person attributes blame of other people's behaviour rather than his/her own. This may explain the poor correlations between the two inventories.

The attribution of blame for criminal acts: relationship with personality disorders and mood

Attribution of blame for criminal acts and its relationship to DSM‐IIIR (APA, 1987) personality disorder diagnosis and psychological variables was investigated in 52 men referred to an intensive probation programme. Self‐report questionnaires revealed a high rate of personality disorder psychopathology in the subjects with 73% meeting criteria for one personality disorder and 63.5% meeting criteria for anti‐social personality disorder. However, there was high multiple morbidity of personality disorder diagnosis with an average of 3.6 diagnoses for each subject. Blame attribution was measured with the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (Gudjonsson & Singh, 1989) . External attribution of blame was found to correlate significantly positively with scores for five personality disorder categories (schizoid, avoidant, obsessive compulsive, passive‐aggressive and borderline), whilst mental element attribution was associated with avoidant personality disorder, high depression, anxiety and inward direction of irritability. Guilt feelings were positively associated with scores for schizotypal, avoidant and dependent personality disorder categories and with irritability directed inwards.

The attribution of blame and type of crime committed: Data for northern ireland

Abstract This study examines the relationship between type of offence and the attributions offenders make about their criminal act. The subjects were 80 prisoners serving prison sentences in Northern Ireland. All subjects had completed the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (Gudjonsson and Singh, 1990). Significant differences in attribution were found between offender groups. Sex offenders and those who had committed acts of interpersonal violence reported most guilt about their offence and they attributed the cause of their offence more to mental factors (e.g. loss of self-control) than other types of offenders. Violent offenders had the highest external attribution and sex offenders the lowest. The mean attribution scores were compared with those of English prisoners and it was found that Irish violent prisoners had significantly lower mental element attribution and higher external attribution than English prisoners.

The personality of Icelandic prisoners: some normative data

Several psychologic tests relevant to criminal behaviour were administered to 80 Icelandic prisoners. These were the Standard Progressive Matrices, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Gough Socialisation Scale, the Arrow-Dot Test, the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory, and two Deception questionnaires. As predicted, Icelandic prisoners had elevated scores on EPQ Psychoticism (P) and Neuroticism (N), but the hypothesis was not confirmed with regard to Extraversion (E). The sample scored low on the Gough Socialisation Scale, similar to American prisoners. The sample as a whole did not have elevated Arrow-Dot impulsivity scores. Attribution of blame for the crime had some significant correlations with personality. High P scorers tended to blame their crime on external factors, such as provocation, and neurotic introverts reported the greatest amount of guilt for their offence.

Custodial interrogation: Why do suspects confess and how does it relate to their crime, attitude and personality?

This study investigates the reasons offenders give claiming to have caused them to confess during custodial interrogation. A further purpose of this study was to look at attitudinal, personality and offence type factors that are associated with the reasons for the confession. The subjects were 74 convicted criminals who were serving prison sentences in Iceland. A specially designed Confession Questionnaire was administered in addition to the Standard Progressive Matrices. The Eysenck Personality Questionnire. The Gough Socialisation Scale, the Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory, and Deception Questionnaires. A principal-components analysis (Varimax Rotation) indicates that there are three primary factors associated with criminals making confessions during interregation. These factors are independent and are labelled as Internal Pressure, External Pressure and Proof. The factors were found to be associated with the type of offence committed, the attitude of the offender towards his or her crime and confession, and with the offender's personality. The study highlights the importance of individual differences in attitude and personality in relation to the reasons offenders give for having confessed to the police during custodial interrogation. Different causes for the confession were related to different attitudinal and personality variables.

Cognitive distortions and blame attribution among paedophiles

Abstract The Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory and the Abel & Becker Cognitive Distortion Scale were administered to 5 men convicted of paedophile offences against a family member or relative. Cognitive distortions were found to be highly significantly correlated with external attribution of blame concerning the crime committed. The implications of the findings are discussed.

The revised Gudjonsson blame attribution inventory

The Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (Gudjonsson, Person. individ. Diff. 5, 53–58, 1984) was revised in order to make it more applicable to a specific criminal act. Factor analysis of the revised inventory revealed three independent factors similar to those found for the original inventory. External attribution of blame was found to be positively correlated with psychoticism, hostility, and external locus of control. Guilt feeling attribution correlated with neuroticism and introversion, but negatively with psychoticism.

Attribution of blame for criminal acts and its relationship with type of offence.

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the relationship between type of offence and attribution of blame by offenders for their criminal activity. The Gudjonsson Blame Attribution Inventory (GBAI) was administered to 139 prisoners at Grendon Psychiatric Prison, and 37 psychiatric patients with a forensic history. As predicted, a significant relationship with type of offence was found. Subjects who had committed sexual offences reported the strongest remorse for their offence, and those who had committed violent offences (e.g. homicide, grevious bodily harm) were more likely to attribute their offence to mental factors (e.g. loss of self-control, depression).