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Abstract Background Attributions are the processes by which individuals explain the causes of positive and negative events. A maladaptive attributional style has been associated with reduced self-esteem, psychosocial functioning, and mental health. Although many psychosocial interventions target an individual’s attributional style in mental disorders, studies of its alterations in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are sparse. This study aimed to investigate the attributional style in patients with BPD in comparison to healthy control individuals (HC) and its association with self-esteem and psychosocial functioning. Methods The participants (32 patients with a diagnosis of BPD, 32 HC, groups were balanced for sex, age and education) assessed their attributional style in regard to locus of control, stability and globality for positive and negative scenarios. Attributional style was compared between groups and linked to self-reports of self-esteem, loneliness and psychosocial functioning in different social domains while controlling for BPD and depressive symptom severity. Results Individuals diagnosed with BPD reported a maladaptive attributional style for both positive and negative events. This was found to be strongly related with lower self-esteem and higher levels of loneliness, but not with psychosocial dysfunctions assessed in different social domains. The severity of BPD and depressive symptoms did not fully explain the association of attributional style with self-esteem and loneliness. In contrast, correcting for acute psychopathology actually strengthened the relationship between self-esteem and maladaptive inferring causality for positive events. Conclusion The differential association of attributional style for positive and negative events with self-esteem and psychosocial functioning highlights the importance of considering the different facets of inferring causality during psychosocial interventions. Our findings suggest that the significance of cognitive alterations may change with remission of acute BPD and depressive psychopathology, depending on the valence of an event.

Many social cognitive assessments that were developed specifically for use in clinical populations are now being widely used in undergraduate populations, either to provide a comparison for clinical groups or to explore performance across the continuum from healthy to subclinical populations. However, the appropriateness of using these assessments in the general population is unclear. The current study, therefore, seeks to determine whether the Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation (SCOPE) battery retains its psychometric properties when used in an undergraduate sample. The initial SCOPE battery was administered to 265 undergraduate participants, and the utility of the tasks was measured by assessing floor and ceiling effects. Internal consistency, discriminant and convergent validity are reported for each task, and the relationship between task performance and neurocognition and social functioning were assessed. Several of the tasks demonstrated limited utility, with the Hinting Task specifically demonstrating a pronounced ceiling effect. Only two measures of social cognitive biases achieved satisfactory internal consistency. Select tasks demonstrated small, but significant relationships with social functioning outcomes and significantly predicted 2–3% of variance above neurocognition alone. Despite the association with social functioning, results indicate that the psychometric properties demonstrated in the initial SCOPE study with a clinical sample do not fully extend to a healthy undergraduate population and highlight the need for social cognitive tasks that validly assess ability across the continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Humans seem to have an innate need to understand the world. We address this need in part by generating largely automatic explanations for the things we see and the things that happen to us. Explanations for personally relevant events often involve a set of inferences, called attributions, that behave in a trait-like way and are collectively referred to as an attributional style. A person's attributional style is theoretically predicted to be causally related to depression (Abramson et al., 1978). Method: This article reports a systematic review and meta-analysis involving 153 studies with 177 independent samples investigating the cross-sectional relationship between attributional style and depressive symptoms in samples of youth. Results: The relationship between attributional style and depressive symptoms is in the theoretically predicted direction, large enough to be meaningful, heterogeneous across studies, and probably underestimated in most studies due to measurement error. A moderator analysis suggested larger effects when the attributional style measure was based on a composite of positive and negative events relative to when the correlation was based on negative effects. None of the other moderator analyses conducted yielded statistically significant results. Discussion: We conclude with suggestions regarding the reliability of measures of attributional style and ways that future studies can more effectively support future meta-analytic moderator analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study longitudinally examined stability and change in the attributional profiles of Finnish student athletes (n = 391) in upper secondary sport schools. Moreover, it examined the extent to which these profiles, and changes in them, were associated with athletes' level of sport competition and school achievements and dropouts at the end of upper secondary sport school. Using latent profile analysis, five different and highly stable attributional profiles were identified for student athletes: (a) depressive (6.9%), (b) athletic self-serving (23.0%), (c) average (16.4%), (d) learned helplessness (30.9%), and (e) responsible (22.8%). The results further showed that over the 3-year study period, the responsible attributional style, wherein individuals take responsibility for successes and failures, predicted student athletes' subsequent high grade point average and low sport dropout rates even after controlling for the impacts of their earlier grade point average, gender, and type of sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior studies on impression management in the work context predominantly emphasize the target (supervisor) or actor perspective, largely ignoring the observer. Suggesting that a coworker's perspective would serve scholars and practitioners better for behavioral implications of impression management at work, we contend that supervisor ingratiation by a coworker triggers a self-serving attributional process for the observer. We propose that the observer attributes a high-performing coworker's supervisor's ingratiation to the supervisor's complacent acceptance of these behaviors in the form of their social perceptual (in)ability. We also propose that these attributions further lead to the observer's imitation of the behavior in an effort to secure favorable outcomes. Furthermore, the study tests the moderating role of the self-serving attributional style in influencing the observer's supervisor attributions. Results from 279 middle-level managers in the banking sector confirmed the hypotheses. Based on attribution theory and social learning literature, the study shows that an integrated view of the two domains of study provides a greater understanding of pervasive behavior. The results of the study are telling, as they imply a spillover of supervisor ingratiation to observers, suggesting potentially damaging effects of supervisor ingratiation on the overall work environment. The study offers a guiding point for the future of impression management literature while advancing attribution literature to a third-party perspective. Practical implications, future suggestions, and limitations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimsMethodsResultsConclusionThe aim of this study was to examine potential mediators of the relationship between traumatic experiences, perceived stress, and the subjective, retrospectively measured, intensity of symptoms of premenstrual disorders. It was hypothesised that pessimistic attributional style and trait anger mediate the said relationship.The study sample comprised 150 non-clinical subjects (aged 18–31; M = 21.82; SD = 2.19). Study variables were assessed with self-report questionnaires: the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST); the Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC); the Perceived Stress Scale-4 Short Form (PSS-4); the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ); and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2 – trait anger subscale). Correlation and mediation analyses were performed.The symptoms of premenstrual disorders were significantly and positively associated with both trait anger and pessimistic attributional style, as well as with trauma and stress. The correlations were moderate to strong, ranging from rho = 0.57 (pessimistic attributional style and trauma) to rho = 0.85 (stress and premenstrual symptoms). Both anger and pessimistic attributional style partially mediated the relationship between trauma and premenstrual symptoms and between stress and premenstrual symptoms.Although the design of the study does not allow to infer causality, it demonstrates strong, positive relationship between the symptoms of premenstrual disorders, trauma, stress, attributional style, and anger. The results of mediation analyses may point to some practical implications (e.g. for psychotherapeutic interventions) but further studies employing prospective methods are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major life events can lead to depression in adulthood. However, as predicted by several depression theories, not only the mere occurrence of major life events but also the way people perceive them determines the onset of a depression. Based on a systematic literature search, we identified 276 studies (N total = 89,600) that examined the relationship between the perception of major life events and depression. We provide an overview of how this relationship has been examined. Furthermore, we meta-analytically integrated 420 effect sizes (172 studies) on the association between the perception of major life events and depression. Most studies relied on college student samples, were cross-sectional, and were conducted in the United States. A more negative perception of events was significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms (r = 0.28). This association was robust across several design and sample characteristics. Furthermore, the perception of major life events and depression were also longitudinally associated with each other (event perception predicting later depressive symptoms: r = 0.26; depressive symptoms predicting later event perception: r = 0.17). Longitudinal research on the relationship between depression and the perception of major life events was relatively rare impairing definite conclusions on whether the perception of life events can predict changes in depressive symptoms over time. The perception of major life events is related to depression. However, further longitudinal research considering a range of different perceived event characteristics and using non-Western heterogeneous samples is needed to better understand their relationship. • Meta-analyses of 420 effect sizes from 172 studies • A more maladaptive event perception is related to depression. • Significant reciprocal prospective associations between these constructs • Further longitudinal research using non-student samples needed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children 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. The 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. We 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. Children 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Impostor Phenomenon describes people characterized by a non-self-serving attributional bias towards success. In this experimental between-subjects design, we conducted a bogus intelligence test in which each subject was assigned to a positive or negative feedback condition. Our sample consisted of N = 170 individuals (51% female). The results showed that the impostor expression moderates the influence of feedback on locus of causality and stability attribution. 'Impostors' show an external-instable attributional style regarding success and an internal-stable attributional style regarding failure. Therefore, the relationship between the impostor expression and its characteristic attribution patterns could be experimentally validated for the first time. In addition, we investigated whether the IP is linked to the performance-related construct mindset. We found a positive correlation between the IP and fixed mindset. Possible causes for these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the difference between attributional style, emotion regulation, health, wellbeing and burnout of public and private sector bank employees. The sample includes 80 employees of public and private sector bank of India from Varanasi District. The sample consisted of managerial employees who volunteered to participate in the study. Five questionnaires namely Organizational Attributional Style Questionnaire, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire, Scale of Psychological Well-Being and Maslach Burnout Inventory have been administered on the subjects. The data have been analyzed by using descriptive analysis, mean, SD and t-test. The results revealed that public and private bank employees did not differ significantly on the scale of organizational attributional style but they differ significantly on the four scales i.e., emotion regulation, health, psychological well-being and burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social cognition is often aberrant or impaired in psychotic disorders and related to functional outcomes. In particular, one core social cognitive bias – hostile attribution bias – is proposed to be implicated in paranoia, anxiety, mood disturbances and interpersonal conflict outcomes. However, questions remain about this domain's specificity to psychosis and its relationship to general functional outcomes. The present paper offers a descriptive and critical review of the literature on hostile attribution bias in psychotic disorders, in order to examine (1) its impact on persecutory symptoms in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, (2) impact on other related psychopathology among those experiencing psychosis and (3) relationship to functioning. Twenty-eight studies included in this review after parallel literature searches of PsycINFO and PubMed. Evidence from these studies highlighted that hostile attribution bias is elevated in schizophrenia, and that it is related to anxiety, depression and interpersonal conflict outcomes. While results suggest that hostile attributions are elevated in schizophrenia and associated with symptoms and functioning, there exist numerous persisting questions in the study of this area, including identifying which measures are most effective and determining how it presents: as a state or trait-like characteristic, via dual processes, and its situational variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most common types of addiction after narcotic or stimulant materials is the alcohol addiction. This study investigated the relationship between self-concept and attributional styles with group spiritual care in the Alcoholics anonymous (AA) group in Mashhad city. Methods: This correlation study was conducted on 300 persons of AA of Mashhad which were selected by the simple random sampling method. The data collection tools were Attributional Styles Questionnaire (ASQ) of Seligman & Singh, Self-concept Questionnaire (SCQ) of Raj Kumar Saraswat and Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22) and Pearson's correlation statistic tests and multivariate regression analysis. Results: The results of regression variance analysis of attributional style and self-concept components with group spiritual care in the studied persons showed that the attributional styles and the self-concept components can explain together about 27 % of the group spiritual care in the studied persons, which was statistically significant (P

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of the attributional style on the mathematics performance of senior secondary school students. The study involved a sequential explanatory mixed-method approach (QUANTITATIVE + qualitative). The quantitative part of the study involved 300 students drawn from 2 schools chosen in 2 education districts in Lagos State, Nigeria. The major data generation instruments for the study were the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ), the mathematics performance scores of students, and focus-group interviews. Focus-group interviews with 20 students (10 students per school) were used in the qualitative part of the study. Quantitative data were analysed by calculating correlation coefficients, conducting multiple regression analyses, and performing a one-way analysis of variance to compare the subscales across gender and socio-economic status. Conversation analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data generated. The findings reveal no significant relationships between the attributional style and mathematics performance. Gender-based differences were found in the stability and globality scales, students’ socio-economic status, and their attitudes towards mathematics. Future research on all the variables used in this study could be replicated on different samples. Researchers could consider exploring the use of an attributional style questionnaire on academic issues using a similar sample as in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory qualitative case study investigates how graduate students in education experience, attribute, and combat academic boredom. Three areas of concern are addressed: (a) the contributing factors to boredom, (b) how attributional style (internal vs. external) relates to coping with boredom, and (c) the differences between combating class-related boredom and learning-related boredom. Results showed that the onset of boredom was mostly influenced by a lack of interest, lack of utility value, and autonomy frustration. This study extended the existing literature by discovering an interaction between students' attributional style and their coping strategies for boredom during classroom instruction. Specifically, students who argued that the instructor should hold more responsibility for boredom in class tended to take avoidance coping as their primary strategy (e.g., doodling). By comparison, students who opted to approach the problem positively (e.g., taking notes) are prone to attribute internally. Attribution does not appear to have a mediating effect on the relationship between experience of boredom and coping strategies for learning-related boredom. Implications for graduate and adult education and findings in the context of recent theoretical frameworks are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore gender differences in social cognition in a sample of first-episode psychosis (FEP). An observational descriptive study was performed with 191 individuals with FEP. Emotion perception was assessed using the Faces Test, theory of mind was assessed using the Hinting Task, and attributional style was assessed using the Internal, Personal and Situational Attributions Questionnaire. No gender differences were found in any of the social cognitive domains. Our results suggest that men and women with FEP achieve similar performances in social cognition. Therefore, targeting specific needs in social cognition regarding gender may not be required in early interventions for psychosis.

Alcohol consumption is a phenomenon that is not new to many societies, drinking alcohol is as old as human history itself and its socio-cultural impact on many societies did not begin recently. For some people drinking alcohol is part of fun, curiosity or culture but for some drinking alcohol stems from their belief, failure and their way of explaining events in life. The present study aims to analyze the difference between alcoholics and non-alcoholic adults on attribution style and attitude towards drinking-alcohol. The sample of the study consists of 180 adults (60 alcoholics & 120 non-alcoholics) from Jaipur city selected through purposive sampling method. Out of 60 alcoholics 20 frequent alcoholics and 40 infrequent alcoholics were selected from addiction centre. Participants completed the Attribution Style Questionnaire (Peterson & Seligman, 1982) and Attitude towards Drinking and Alcoholism (Basu, 1998). Data was subjected to F test and t test to study the significant differences in three groups (frequent alcoholics, infrequent alcoholics, & non-alcoholics) on dimensions of attribution style and attitude towards drinking alcohol. Findings revealed that significant difference exists between frequent alcoholics, infrequent alcoholics and non-alcoholics on the dimensions internality and globality of attributional style. Frequent alcoholics tend to attribute their negative life events to internal factors and believe that their problems will persist other spheres of life as well. No significant difference was observed between them on dimension of stability. Frequent alcoholics, infrequent alcoholics and non-alcoholics show significant difference on attitude towards drinking alcohol on acceptance, avoidance and social dimension. No significant difference was obtained on the dimension of rejection towards alcohol. The results of this research will have the potential to yield psychologists and counselors important insights into how cognitive factors contribute to the alcohol consumption in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tried to verify whether the reformulated Learned Helplessness Model and its more fully articulated form, the Hopelessness Theory of Depression, were adequate to predict symptoms and social functioning (SF) in persons with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders by comparing a clinical group (n = 25) with a non-clinical one (n = 30). Bivariate correlations and multiple linear regressions were conducted to assess relationships between the Attribution Styles Questionnaire (ASQ), clinical variables, and SF within the clinical group. Differences between groups were found for most of attributional dimensions. A “pessimistic style” predicted depression within the clinical group. An unstable attribution bias predicted positive symptoms. General psychopathology and a global attribution style predicted 50% of the variance in general SF. The Learned Helplessness Model was suitable to predict depression regardless of psychotic symptoms and may be useful to predict clinical symptoms and SF in persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Clinical and theoretical implications were discussed.

Background: Although children's depressive and anxious symptoms have been broadly construed as internalizing problems, the current study sought to identify factors that may differentially contribute to these two mental health problems in a high-risk sample. Prior research has not adequately tested both depressive versus anxious symptoms simultaneously, nor has it adequately considered the role of negative versus positive parenting simultaneously, thereby neglecting the potential overlap in both sets of constructs. Overlooking such potential statistical overlap obfuscates how factors may differentially contribute to either depressive versus anxious symptoms. Existing research has also focused on lower-risk community samples. Method: The present study investigated whether children's negative self-concept or maladaptive attributional style mediated the link between both negative and positive parenting in a racially diverse, at-risk sample of 65 primary school-age children recruited from mental health agencies. Results: When tested together, more negative parenting, but not less positive parenting, retained direct effects on both depressive and anxious symptoms. Both negative self-concept and maladaptive attributional style fully mediated the association between less positive parenting and children's depressive symptoms, whereas positive self-concept, but not attributional style, mediated between less positive parenting and anxious symptoms. Conclusions: The current findings underscore potential differential intervention targets for these two internalizing problems and highlight the need for future research to consider both depressive and anxious symptoms, and related predictors, simultaneously to control for their shared variance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene are related to individual differences in negative emotions, such as depressive symptoms and anxiety. However, it remains unclear what the potential roles of OXTR polymorphisms are in subjective well-being (SWB), which is negatively correlated with depressive symptoms. We examined attributional styles as mediator between SWB and five polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR rs53576, rs2254298, rs1042778, rs2268494, and rs2268490) among 627 full-time college freshmen (M age = 20.90, SD = 0.82 for male; M age = 20.81, SD = 0.92 for female) using structural equation modeling. The results showed that individuals with the OXTR rs2254298 AA genotype and rs53576 AA/GA genotype reported higher scores on SWB, which suggested that individuals with this genotype experienced more happiness. Moreover, external attributional style partially mediated the association between OXTR rs2254298 polymorphism and SWB (β = 0.019, 95% CI [0.001, 0.036], p = 0.035). In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that the genetic variations of OXTR played a role in the individual differences of SWB, and external attribution style could mediate the association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Among the cognitive domains impaired in Parkinson's disease (PD), social cognition has received particular attention in recent years. Nevertheless, attributional bias, a social-cognitive subdomain, has not yet been studied in this population, despite its potential relationship with neuropsychiatric symptoms, and despite the possibility that deep-brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus, an effective treatment for disabling motor symptoms, worsens cognitive impairment. The present study therefore compared the attributional bias of patients with PD (stimulated and nonstimulated subgroups) with that of controls. It also explored the potential correlations between patients' attributional bias and their clinical scores.Methods: Thirty-two patients with PD (12 stimulated and 20 nonstimulated) were recruited and matched with 32 healthy controls. Attributional bias was assessed using the Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire, which yields three subscores: Hostility Bias, Aggression Bias, and Blame. Depressive symptoms (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression), paranoid thoughts (Paranoia Scale), global cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and social functioning (Social Functioning Questionnaire) were also assessed.Results: Patients exhibited more hostile and aggressive biases than controls, especially in ambiguous situations. Stimulated patients had greater hostility and aggression biases and a higher blame score than controls in accidental situations. No significant differences were observed between stimulated and nonstimulated patients.Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to have assessed attributional bias in patients with PD and explored the impact of deep-brain stimulation on this particular subdomain of social cognition. Results suggest that patients exhibit attributional bias, and this impairment may be exacerbated in stimulated patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene are related to individual differences in negative emotions, such as depressive symptoms and anxiety. However, it remains unclear what the potential roles of OXTR polymorphisms are in subjective well-being (SWB), which is negatively correlated with depressive symptoms. We examined attributional styles as mediator between SWB and five polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR rs53576, rs2254298, rs1042778, rs2268494, and rs2268490) among 627 full-time college freshmen (Mage = 20.90, SD = 0.82 for male; Mage = 20.81, SD = 0.92 for female) using structural equation modeling. The results showed that individuals with the OXTR rs2254298 AA genotype and rs53576 AA/GA genotype reported higher scores on SWB, which suggested that individuals with this genotype experienced more happiness. Moreover, external attributional style partially mediated the association between OXTR rs2254298 polymorphism and SWB (β = 0.019, 95%CI [0.001, 0.036], p = 0.035). In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that the genetic variations of OXTR played a role in the individual differences of SWB, and external attribution style could mediate the association.

The study explores the mechanism by which unadapted causal attributions and the perception of social support stimulate revenge and reconciliation at the social and professional level in the context of the current pandemic. In particular, the purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between the accused, the victim and offender status and the search for revenge or reconciliation following a personal offense. To test the suggested research model, we analyzed the data collected by 167 (m = 28.52; SD = 8.98) employees in different organizations using a multifactorial experimental design. The results support the influence of attributional predictions in forming revenge and reconciliation and show that they are involved in the decision to carry out revenge, but especially in the way the employee interprets the trigger situation. In conclusion, the revenge is based on a negative attributional mechanism that produces the greatest deficit of adaptation to the situation and a weakening of the perception of social support, while reconciliation seems to be based on a much more complex socio-occupational mechanism. Leaders should pay attention to organizational communication during a crisis as they could encourage hopelessness depression. Adjusting crisis communication is crucial to ensuring job satisfaction that could mitigate negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of a robot tutor's feedback valence (positive feedback and negative feedback) and attributional style (internal-attribution and external-attribution) on learners. A Nao robot was designed to be a dance tutor that taught participants dance movements and gave performance feedback. Thirty-six graduate and undergraduate students participated in the experiments and were divided into two groups: an internal-attribution group and an external-attribution group. Participants in each group received both positive and negative feedback. The results indicated that the participants were more likely to accept positive feedback than negative feedback. In addition, they perceived greater influence by positive feedback than negative feedback. Moreover, participants did not the demonstrate self-serving attributional bias. They attributed more blame to themselves than to the robot for negative performance, whereas no difference was observed in the attribution of credit between the robot and the participants. Furthermore, the internal-attribution robot tutor was more likely to be regarded as a training coach instead of a training tool than the external-attribution robot tutor. Finally, participants reported a higher relationship closeness with the internal-attribution robot tutor than the external-attribution robot tutor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the mechanism by which unadapted causal attributions and the perception of social support stimulate revenge and reconciliation at the social and professional level in the context of the current pandemic. In particular, the purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between the accused, the victim and offender status and the search for revenge or reconciliation following a personal offense. To test the suggested research model, we analyzed the data collected by 167 (m = 28.52; SD = 8.98) employees in different organizations using a multifactorial experimental design. The results support the influence of attributional predictions in forming revenge and reconciliation and show that they are involved in the decision to carry out revenge, but especially in the way the employee interprets the trigger situation. In conclusion, the revenge is based on a negative attributional mechanism that produces the greatest deficit of adaptation to the situation and a weakening of the perception of social support, while reconciliation seems to be based on a much more complex socio-occupational mechanism. Leaders should pay attention to organizational communication during a crisis as they could encourage hopelessness depression. Adjusting crisis communication is crucial to ensuring job satisfaction that could mitigate negative effects.

The Impostor-Profile (IPP) is a six-dimensional questionnaire measuring the Impostor Phenomenon facets. This study aims to test (a) the appropriateness of a total score, (b) measurement invariance (MI) between gender, (c) the reliability of the IPP, and (d) the convergent validity of the IPP subscales. The sample consisted of N = 482 individuals (64% female). To identify whether the scales of the IPP form a total score, we compared four models: (1) six correlating subscales, (2) a general factor model, (3) a second-order model with one second-order factor and six first-order factors, and (4) a bifactorial model with six group factors. The bifactorial model obtained the best fit. This supports the assumption of a total impostor score. The inspection of structural validity between gender subgroups showed configural, metric, and partial scalar MI. Factor mean comparisons supported the assumption that females and males differ in latent means of the Impostor Phenomenon expressions. The omega coefficients showed sufficient reliability (≥0.71), except for the subscale Need for Sympathy. Overall, the findings of the bifactor model fit and construct validity support the assumption that the measurement through total expression is meaningful in addition to the theoretically formulated multidimensionality of the Impostor Phenomenon.

Background: Social support represents a key factor in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Social cognition - the ability to perceive, interpret, and respond to other people - is considered fundamental in making use of social support. Gaining knowledge on the link between PTSD and social cognition is therefore essential. Whilst social cognitive difficulties in patients with PTSD are documented, an understanding of which particular social cognitive processes might be affected more than others, is lacking. The current meta-analysis was therefore aimed to examine social cognitive functioning in four underlying social cognitive domains (mentalization, emotion recognition, social perception, and attributional style) in PTSD diagnosed patients versus controls.Methods: Meta-analyzes were conducted on studies examining performance on at least one social cognitive domain in PTSD diagnosed patients compared to controls.Results: 19 studies were included, involving 565 patients and 641 controls. Relative to controls, the PTSD group scored lower on overall social cognitive functioning (SMD = -0.42), specifically on mentalization (SMD = -0.81) and social perception (SMD = -0.30), whilst the latter should be interpreted with caution as only one study was found pertaining to this domain. No emotion recognition and attributional style differences were found.Limitations: There was evidence of moderate heterogeneity in the results of the included studies for overall social cognition and attributional style.Conclusions: Findings indicate that social cognition represents a potential important clinical factor in PTSD and underscore the importance of differentiating between underlying social cognitive processes in research and treatment of PTSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Impostor-Profile (IPP) is a six-dimensional questionnaire measuring the Impostor Phenomenon facets. This study aims to test (a) the appropriateness of a total score, (b) measurement invariance (MI) between gender, (c) the reliability of the IPP, and (d) the convergent validity of the IPP subscales. The sample consisted of N = 482 individuals (64% female). To identify whether the scales of the IPP form a total score, we compared four models: (1) six correlating subscales, (2) a general factor model, (3) a second-order model with one second-order factor and six first-order factors, and (4) a bifactorial model with six group factors. The bifactorial model obtained the best fit. This supports the assumption of a total impostor score. The inspection of structural validity between gender subgroups showed configural, metric, and partial scalar MI. Factor mean comparisons supported the assumption that females and males differ in latent means of the Impostor Phenomenon expressions. The omega coefficients showed sufficient reliability (≥0.71), except for the subscale Need for Sympathy. Overall, the findings of the bifactor model fit and construct validity support the assumption that the measurement through total expression is meaningful in addition to the theoretically formulated multidimensionality of the Impostor Phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social functioning impairment has been described in several psychiatric illness, including depressive disorders. It is associated with a deterioration in global functioning and quality of life, thus there is a growing interest in psychosocial functioning remediation interventions. This systematic review aims to review all psychotherapeutic, pharmacological and biological social functioning interventions in depressive disorders.Methods: A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, PsycINFO and Scopus from the first articles to 2019 following the PRISMA guidelines. 72 original papers were extracted from an initial number of 1827, based on the selected eligibility criteria.Results: A growing body of research was observed in the last 10 years, with most studies showing a low level of scientific evidence. The main diagnosis found was major depressive disorder and the principal social cognition domains assessed were emotional processing and attributional style. The type of intervention most found was the pharmacological one, followed by psychotherapeutic interventions classified as "non-specific. The efficacy of treatments showed an improvement in depressive symptoms and positive results for emotional processing and attributional style.Limitations: Because there is a lack of well-controlled designs and really few interventions focusing on its remediation, and low homogeneity on the assessment of social aspects across, a comparison of results and the extraction of general conclusions is quite difficult.Conclusions: Although a promising body of literature has been developed in recent years on the improvement of psychosocial functioning in patients with depressive disorders, more studies are needed to clarify relevant aspects in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study provides psychometric support for the use of the Children's Attributional Style Interview-II (CASI-II) to assess attributional style for positive and negative events with young adolescents. The paper-and-pencil version of the CASI-II was administered to a sample of 546 seventh- and eighth-grade students attending a Midwest suburban middle school (50% women, 54% white, 22% Hispanic, 10% Asian American, and 14% other). A multilevel confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a factor structure consistent with attributional style theory and evidence for internal consistency reliability and temporal stability. Construct and convergent validity were strong. Dimensional subscale scores as well as composite scores for both positive and negative events showed adequate reliability and strong validity evidence. These results offer confidence for testing theory-driven predictions related to attributional style for both positive and negative events, as well as specific attributional dimensional patterns, using the CASI-II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This research investigates personality dimensions and attributional styles among individuals with and without gender dysphoria in relationship to gender, educational level, and ethnicity. Participants were 60 men and women with and without gender dysphoria. A demographic sheet and two inventories were used. Results showed that patients with gender dysphoria had significantly higher neuroticism and lower agreeableness compared with individuals without gender dysphoria. No significance differences in extraversion, openness to experience, and conscientiousness (based on the “big five” personality model) were found between those with and without gender dysphoria. Also, individuals without gender dysphoria had higher positive attributional styles compared to patients with gender dysphoria. Finally, there were significant effects for gender and ethnicity on personality dimensions, but not for gender, ethnicity, or the ethnicity by gender interaction on the attributional styles.

Objectives: Patients with schizophrenia are characterized with deficiencies in various aspects of social functioning. Given the relationship between social functioning deficits and relapse in these patients, identification of underlying factors is of significant importance. Thus, in this study, the contribution of each dimension of social cognition (Emotion Perception [EP], Theory of Mind [ToM] and Attributional Style [AS]) in predicting the social function of schizophrenic patients were examined. Methods: The statistical population included all patients with chronic schizophrenia hospitalized in Shiraz chronic healthcare centers. Of them, a total of 62 patients with schizophrenia disorder were selected based on purposive sampling method from three chronic care centers and were evaluated using social cognition tools (Hinting Task, Face Emotion Identification Task, and The Ambiguous Intentions and Hostility Questionnaire) and the Social Functioning Scale (SFS). Results: The results showed that ToM and EP predicted social functioning in people with schizophrenia but attributional style was not associated with social functioning. Discussion: On the whole, ToM and EP are general abilities contributing in explaining social functioning. However, the importance of attributional bias is significant when evaluating the performance of a person in specific areas such as aggressive behaviors.

The Parent Cognition Scale (PCS; Snarr, Slep, & Grande, 2009) is a self-report measure of parental attributions of child behavior that has demonstrated validity in community samples. However, its psychometric properties have not been examined in a clinical sample of parents of children with disruptive behavior. Examining the psychometric properties of the PCS in this population is important given research linking parent attribution with childhood disruptive behavior. The present study aimed to: (a) examine the psychometric properties of the PCS in a sample of parents whose children were clinic-referred for disruptive behavior problems; and (b) investigate the concurrent validity of the PCS and its factors using correlations with parent reports of children's emotional and behavioral difficulties, and parenting skills (i.e., discipline, supervision). A confirmatory factor analysis was run on 225 parents' responses on the PCS, and revealed that a two-factor structure of the PCS fit the data well. Significant correlations were found between Parent Causal Attributions (Factor 1) and parent-reported parenting difficulties. Child Responsible Attributions (Factor 2) were correlated with elevations in children's emotion, attention, and conduct difficulties. The results provide information on the utility of the PCS for parents of children with disruptive behavior and its potential clinical relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios Gerenciales is the property of Universidad ICESI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The research presents the influence of the attributional style on interpersonal sensitivity from the point of view of the stress diathesis model, the basic model of hopelessness theory. We investigate the effects of the social support, life experiences and negative attributional style on the interpersonal sensitivity. For this purpose we used a sample of 211 participants aged between 18 and 51 years (M=27.11; SD=11.19). The results claim that negative attributional style, lack of confidence and low social support have a direct impact on sensitivity. We believe that the results of this research may contribute to the formation of a predictive model of sensitivity, with direct implications for future research in this area of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature has shown the importance of social cognition for emotional wellness. However, to our knowledge, few studies so far investigated the relationship between social cognition and anxiety in childhood. No study systematically examined social cognition in relation to specific domains of anxiety. By a correlational design and multivariate models, we explored in a sample of 337 children the association between five anxiety phenotypes and two social cognition domains (Mentalization/Attributional style). After controlling for depressive symptoms, we found that a good performance in the mentalization task was predicted by high levels of generalized anxiety and low levels of separation anxiety. Moreover, positive attributions for good events were predicted by low levels of social anxiety. The present findings remark the importance of rehabilitating social cognition skills in children with social/separation anxiety and depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although studies have examined cognitive styles among adults with bipolar disorder (BD), less is known about this issue in pediatric samples. Therefore, we investigated negative cognitions and attributional styles in pediatric patients with BD and healthy controls (HC). Participants completed measures about their views of themselves, the world, and the future and causal attributions for positive and negative events. Compared to HCs, youth with BD displayed greater negative thoughts about others and the future, but not about themselves. They were also more likely to report dysfunctional attributional styles for negative events. When including depressive and manic symptoms in the analyses, both were significant covariates and accounted for the group differences in negative cognitions. Findings point to the importance of manic and depressive symptoms in the occurrence of maladaptive thinking patterns among pediatric patients with BD and highlight the unique cognitive styles specific to this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the role of symptom attribution in treatment-seeking behaviours, survey results of 1356 veterans (age = 38–72 years) were analysed. Controlling for symptom frequency, significant relationships were found for specialist and psychological-related consultations. Those who favoured psychological explanations for symptoms were more likely to attend specialist and psychology-related consultations and filled significantly more prescriptions than people who predominantly explained symptoms by situational factors (normalisers). Veterans who favoured somatic explanations attended more general practitioner consultations than normalisers. Attributional style should be considered part of the constellation of factors influencing healthcare usage. Normalisers, the predominant group, used fewest health services and filled fewest prescriptions; this may have important implications for healthcare considering their tendency to minimise or downplay symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attributions are cognitive variables that influence a person's behaviour. Although a large volume of research has been conducted on the attributions of support staff with regard to challenging behaviour (CB) exhibited by people with intellectual disabilities (ID), studies on patterns of attributional dimensions (i.e. attributional styles) are scarce. Method: Using semi‐structured interviews, 19 support staff members were asked to describe incidents of aggressive, self‐injurious and sexualized challenging behaviour. Data on attributions were analysed using the Leeds Attributional Coding System. Results: Four attributional styles differed significantly for aggressive, self‐injurious and sexualized challenging behaviour. In addition, support staff members largely attributed these three types of CB to characteristics and behaviour of clients with ID. Conclusions: The results indicate that it is important to train support staff to recognize and understand the ways in which their attributions and behaviour influence the existence and maintenance of CB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims to understand mediators and moderators of the relationship between stalking victimization and depression. Based on the reformulated learned helplessness theory, which emphasizes the role of internal, global, and stable attributions for negative events in the development of depression, we predicted that the association between stalking victimization and depression would be mediated by attributions for the stalking and characterological self-blame. We predicted that the association between stalking victimization and helplessness attributions or characterological self-blame, in turn, would be moderated by gender, sex-role identity, and length of stalking. Specifically, we hypothesized that female victims, victims possessing a feminine sex-role identity, and victims experiencing longer stalking episodes would be more likely to experience depression in comparison with male victims, victims possessing a masculine sex-role identity, and victims experiencing shorter stalking episodes. The results indicated that global attributions for the cause of stalking significantly mediated the relationship between stalking victimization and depression. The results for stable attributions, internal attributions, and characterological self-blame were nonsignificant. Furthermore, gender, sex-role identity, and length of stalking did not moderate the association between stalking and attributional style or characterological self-blame. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to determine the impact of negative affect (defined in terms of lack of optimism, depressogenic attributional style, and hopelessness depression) on the quality of life of women with type 1 diabetes mellitus.MethodsParticipants (n=177) completed either an online or paper questionnaire made available to members of Australian diabetes support groups. Measures of optimism, attributional style, hopelessness depression, disease-specific data, and diabetes-related quality of life were sought. Bivariate correlations informed the construction of a structural equation model.ResultsParticipants were 36.3±11.3 years old, with a disease duration of 18.4±11.2 years. Age and recent glycosylated hemoglobin readings were significant contextual variables in the model. All bivariate associations involving the components of negative affect were as hypothesized. That is, poorer quality of life was associated with a greater depressogenic attributional style, higher hopelessness depression, and lower optimism. The structural equation model demonstrated significant direct effects of depressogenic attributional style and hopelessness depression on quality of life, while (lack of) optimism contributed to quality of life indirectly by way of these variables.ConclusionThe recognition of negative affect presentations among patients, and an understanding of its relevance to diabetes-related quality of life, is a valuable tool for the practitioner.

The purpose of this research was to study personal attributional style and its interconnection with treatment of migrants and host culture acculturation strategies of young adult males and females (high school students). Respondents were young adults from School № 179 of Moscow (50 total, from 15 to 17 years old (mean 15.8), 19 female, 31 male). In this research were used: Success and failures attributional style questionnaire (T.O. Gordeeva, O.V. Krylova), host culture acculturation expectation scales (J. Berry), Migrantophobia measurement scale (N.M. Lebedeva), Feelings about migrants measurement scale (I.M. Kuznetsov), Kognitive reflection test (Shane Frederick). According to findings, personal attributional style has no correlation with feelings about migrants, migrantophobia or results of kognitive reflection test. Correlation was found between host culture acculturation strategies expectation and some attributional style components, inclunding Control subscale (p ≤ 0,05). Also interconnection was found between Kognitive reflection test results and various subscales of attributional style questionnaire (p≤0,01).

Are all religions essentially the same? Are believers of different religions heading in the same mental direction? To answer these questions from a sociopsychological perspective, we compared social sensitivity and causal attribution styles between Mahayana Buddhists, who practice unbiased love and compassion toward every being, and Christians, who pursue a union with God. Despite a similar cultural background, sex ratio, age distribution, socioeconomic status, and fluid intelligence level, these two religious groups in Taiwan showed opposite tendencies when inferring the mental states of others – as religiosity increased, the theory of mind ability increased in Mahayana Buddhists but decreased in Christians. Furthermore, these two religious groups showed opposite tendencies of attributional style – as religiosity increased, self-serving bias decreased in Buddhists but increased in Christians. These marked religiosity-dependent, sociopsychological effects suggest that different religions may shape or attract their followers who are moving in quite distinct mental directions.

Background: High prevalence of mental health issues in the twenty-first century accounts for a lion share in the worldwide burden of disease. There is an alarming decrease in the onset of half of the mental health problems. Hence, it is necessary to explore the current situation and figure out the causes and preventive measures as well as the appropriate mental health enhancement measures. Individual characteristics, such as thinking patterns and perception, have an impact on the mental health. Attributional style is one source of 'cognitive vulnerability' which influences mental health disorders. Therefore, the present study examines whether there are any variations in the mental health of children with different attributional styles. Methods: The current research adopted a cross-sectional research design and selected 150 school going students [74 males and 76 females] between 10-13 years of age as participants. The Child Attributional Style Questionnaire [CASQ], Satisfaction with Life Scale-Children [SWLS-C], Brief Resilience Scale, and Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale [RCADS] are used to gather information. Results: The results indicated that children with a pessimistic attributional style experienced more depression and generalized anxiety than children with other two attributional styles. In terms of gender differences in mental health, female students with pessimistic attributional style significantly differed from their counterparts on depression [χ² [2] = 10.131, p = 0.006] and separation anxiety [χ² [2] = 6.456, p = 0.040]. Conclusion: Attributional style seems to have a significant role in depression and anxiety in female children. Although male children did not show any statistically significant results, they were more likely to be pessimistic in terms of their attributional style, which makes them vulnerable to mental health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to identify bidirectional and longitudinal links between attributions, coping, and health functioning among adolescents with chronic illness and their parents. Religious/spiritual coping, attributional styles, and health functioning were assessed among adolescents with chronic illness at two time points approximately 21 months apart. Parental coping and attributions at both time points were also measured. Longitudinal links between variables were tested using an autoregressive cross-lagged path model; adolescent age and disease differences were evaluated via multigroup modeling. Poorer adolescent health functioning at baseline predicted higher use of parent optimistic attributional style at follow-up. Adolescent optimistic attributional style at baseline predicted more positive and less negative religious/spiritual coping at follow-up; adolescent negative religious/spiritual coping at baseline predicted more positive religious/spiritual coping at follow-up. Parent optimistic attributional style and positive religious/spiritual coping at baseline predicted the same constructs among adolescents at follow-up. With respect to age differences, parental negative religious/spiritual coping at baseline was associated with poorer health functioning among younger, but not older, adolescents at follow-up. There were no disease differences in the model. Important links were identified in this family-based model of coping, attributions, and health functioning. The results highlight specific targets for interventions to improve health functioning and coping among adolescents with chronic illness, including parental religious/spiritual coping and adolescent attributional style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to investigate the individual contributions of neurocognitive and social‐cognitive domains to self‐reported and informant‐reported functional outcome in early psychosis. We also sought to further characterize the nature of cognitive impairments in this sample and explore the interrelationships between the social‐cognitive measures and how they correlate with measures of neurocognition and clinical symptoms. In this study, 70 patients (mean age: 24.1; 87.1% males) with primary psychotic disorder diagnosed in the previous 5 years were assessed on multiple neurocognitive (processing speed, attention, working memory, immediate verbal memory, delayed recall, visual reasoning, inhibition, planning, cognitive flexibility), and social‐cognitive domains (theory of mind (ToM), emotion recognition, attributional style, metacognitive overconfidence) as well as measures of clinical symptoms. Functional outcome was assessed with three self‐reports and two informant‐reports. On average, patients performed one or more SD below healthy controls on measures of delayed recall, ToM and metacognitive overconfidence. Emotion recognition and ToM were intercorrelated and correlated with multiple neurocognitive domains and negative symptoms. Attributional style correlated with positive symptoms. In the context of multiple variables, self‐reported functional outcomes were predicted by attributional style, whereas emotion recognition and immediate verbal memory predicted variance in informant‐reported community functioning. These results support the suggestion of a likely distinction between the predictive factors for self‐reported and informant‐reported functional outcome in early psychosis and suggest that consideration of self‐assessment of functional outcome is critical when attempting to evaluate the effects attributional style has on functional disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]