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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 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]

The authors examined whether attributional style could explain burnout among 201 counseling graduate students. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis results indicated that stability and globality of attribution explain a significant amount of the variance in counselor trainees' burnout. These findings suggest intervention and training should be used to promote a more flexible and positive orientation to handle stressful life events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lex C, Hautzinger M, Meyer TD. Cognitive styles in hypomanic episodes of bipolar I disorder. Bipolar Disord 2011: 13: 355-364. © 2011 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objectives: Cognitive vulnerability-stress theories have recently been extended to bipolar disorder by suggesting that an activation of negative cognition might lead to depressive mood episodes and an activation of positive cognition might lead to manic mood episodes. Alternatively, the manic defense hypothesis claims that hypomanic and manic states are not the opposite of depression but rather contain similar underlying negative cognitions. The objective of this study was to further evaluate these theories by examining the cognitive patterns in bipolar I hypomania. Methods: We compared 15 hypomanic bipolar I disorder patients, 26 remitted bipolar I disorder patients, and 21 healthy individuals in a cross-sectional study. All participants completed the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, the Attributional Style Questionnaire, the Emotional Stroop Task, and the Emotional Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Results: Hypomanic bipolar disorder individuals showed cognitions associated with depressive states as well as cognitions associated with manic states. The results for the remitted bipolar disorder patients paralleled those for the control group. Conclusion: Dysfunctional cognition in bipolar disorder seems to relate to state rather than to trait. Hypomania includes depression-related as well as mania-related cognitions and can therefore not be considered as the mere opposite of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attributional style is one domain of social cognition that involves perceiving, interpreting, and generating responses to others' intentions and behaviours in different situations. This study describes the attributional style of Egyptians with schizophrenia. The study took place in a psychiatric hospital in Egypt. Eight psychiatric wards were randomly selected, and all participants (150) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia participated. Data were collected using the Ambiguous Intention Hostility Questionnaire (AIHQ), the attributional style interview schedule, and the sociodemographic/clinical data sheet. Participants' scores on the AIHQ varied significantly between different situations (intentional, accidental, and ambiguous). The attributional style of the studied participants regarding their perceived psychosocial problems tended to be related to specific causes. These causes were mostly externally attributed to other people and to circumstances, and were perceived not to persist in the future. It would seem that Egyptians with schizophrenia tend to blame other people for negative events if these events are perceived to cause intentional harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many researchers underscore the importance of coping in the daily lives of adolescents, yet very few studies measure this and related constructs at this level. Using a daily diary approach to stress and coping, the current study evaluated a series of mediational coping models in a sample of low-income minority adolescents (N = 89). Specifically, coping was hypothesized to mediate the relationship between attributional style (and dimensions) and daily affect. Using random coefficient regression modeling, the relationship between (a) the locus of causality dimension and positive affect was completely mediated by the use of acceptance and humor as coping strategies; (b) the stability dimension and positive affect was completely mediated by the use of both problem-solving and positive thinking; and (c) the stability dimension and negative affect was partially mediated by the use of religious coping. In addition, the locus of causality and stability (but not globality) dimensions were also directly related to affect. However, the relationship between pessimistic explanatory style and affect was not mediated by coping. Consistent with previous research, these findings suggest that attributions are both directly and indirectly related to indices of affect or adjustment. Thus, attributions may not only influence the type of coping strategy employed, but may also serve as coping strategies themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parenting factors may be important to the development of attributional style in adolescence, which in turn relates to depression symptoms. These relationships have mainly been considered in terms of social risk mechanisms, and little is known about the role of genetic influences. Method: Self-reported measures of attributional style, depression symptoms and parental disciplinary styles were administered to over 1300 adolescent twin and sibling pairs. Model-fitting techniques were used to examine the role of genetic and environmental influences. Results: Moderate genetic influences on attributional style were demonstrated, and furthermore, its association with depression reflected considerable genetic effects. Familial factors were implicated in the association between attributional style and punitive parenting, although genetic from shared environmental causes could not be distinguished. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that attributional style is influenced by genetic, as well as social factors. Implications for aetiological pathways integrating cognitive, genetic and social factors on adolescent depression are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The associations between sleep problems, anxiety, anxiety sensitivity and attributional style were examined in self-report data from 79 children aged 8–11 years. Total anxiety score was associated with different types of sleep problems (bedtime resistance, sleep anxiety and nightmares). Conversely, total sleep problem score was associated with different sub-scales of anxiety (from r(78) = 0.15, p = NS to r(79) = 0.47, p < 0.01). Symptoms of anxiety correlated significantly with anxiety sensitivity, but not with attributional style. After controlling for other symptoms of anxiety, school phobias (Beta = 0.26, p < 0.05), the mental incapacitation concerns scale of anxiety sensitivity (Beta = 0.26, p < 0.05), and attributional style (Beta = -0.31, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.45) predicted sleep problems. These results suggest that anxiety is associated with a range of sleep problems, and that sleep problems are associated with different types of anxiety. Furthermore, certain cognitive styles are associated with both anxiety and sleep problems and may be good candidates for further research into the association between sleep problems and anxiety in children. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationships between self-identified crowd membership, attributional characteristics, and perceptions of parental style among students in their first year of high school (N = 893). The aim was to assess the extent to which group identity is reflected in self-reported characteristics. Most students self-identified either as studious, athletes, populars, rebels, or normals (N = 669) and also completed measures of perceptions of parental styles and attributional style. Consistent differences were observed between self-identified studious and rebel teenagers. One-way ANOVAS revealed significant group differences on mother's authoritativeness, father's authoritativeness, positive attributional style, and negative attributional style. These results are discussed with reference to the interplay between group influences and individual characteristics. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hostile attributions were examined in 150 incarcerated males to test the possibility that there are two pathways associated with hostile attributions: one related to psychopathy as assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised [PCL-R; Hare, 1991] and one related to depressogenic attributional style, as assessed using the Inferential Styles Questionnaire [ISQ; Rose et al., 1994]. Ten hypothetical vignettes were used to assess attributions of intent. Both PCL-R and ISQ scores were significant predictors of hostile attributions. Further, the two processes appeared to relate differentially to the race of the participants, such that an ISQ-hostile attribution association was stronger among African American participants than among Caucasian participants. Contrary to prediction, hostile attributions did not mediate associations between personality and violent crime. Aggr. Behav. 000–000, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies explored the relationship between cognitions and long-term symptoms in adult child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors. In Study 1, an American sample of 43 survivors completed questionnaires assessing attributional style and dysfunctional beliefs in cognitive themes affected by victimization, as well as measures of posttraumatic symptoms. Survivors' attributions of negative events were more internal, stable, and global than those of 29 comparison subjects without a history of CSA. However, only the globality scale was significantly related with severity of long-term symptoms. High correlations between dysfunctional beliefs concerning safety, trust, esteem, or intimacy, and posttrauma symptoms were found. The latter finding was replicated in Study 2 with a German sample of 35 CSA survivors, even when controlling for frequency of abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pointing to the lack of empirical evidence relating spouses' attributions about their marital problems to actual problem solving behavior, this study examined the relationship between spouses' attributional styles for marital problems and their negative social reinforcement in a laboratory interaction procedure. Results indicated that wives who attributed other couples' marital problems to undesirable personality traits or negative attitudes were more likely to verbally criticize their husbands in the problem-solving discussion. A self-report measure of angry response style also showed the same positive association with negative attributions. Results for husbands were not significant. The study was viewed as an attempt to bridge cognitive psychological theory and family studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although exposure to a traumatic event is thought to be the main aetiological factor in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD: APA, 1987), a large amount of individual variance in the chronicity and severity of symptoms remains unaccounted for. In this paper, evidence will be reviewed for the possible mediating role of causal attributions and attributional style. It is suggested that these factors may be related to specific emotional states within PTSD and to particular coping behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proposed that the, animal experiments on inescapable shock may serve as a model for PTSD in humans. Learned helplessness theory, which also derives from the experiments on inescapable shock, proposes that helplessness behavior in humans is the result of people's expectations about events which they perceive to be uncontrollable. The way a person explains or attributes cause to events which occur influences these expectations. The symptoms of PTSD and helplessness behavior heavily overlap. The present study tested whether there was, in fact, a relationship between a proven mea- sure of the attributional style proposed by helplessness theory, the A ttributional Style Questionnaire, and measures of PTSD in a group of 99 patients seeking treatment for alcohol dependence and/or pathological gambling. Consistent, significant relationships were found between learned helplessness attributional style and a variety of measures of PTSD. Also replicated were earlier reports of a relationship between coaddiction (alcohol and gambling) and symptoms of PTSD. The usefulness of learned helplessness theory in explaining PTSD and devising treatments for portions of the disorder are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]