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Objective: Childhood obesity is a public health challenge with health, economic and psychosocial consequences. The design of interventions addressing childhood obesity seldom considers children's perspectives on the topic. Weiner's causal attribution framework was used to explore children's perspectives on enablers of obesity. Methods and measures: Children (N = 277) responded to a vignette with an open-ended question. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Children perceived internal, unstable and controllable causes (e.g. dietary intake, self-regulation and emotionality) as the main enablers (76.53%) of obesity, while some (11.91%) highlighted external, unstable and controllable causes (e.g. parent food restrictions). A focus on children with healthy body weight showed that they mentioned more internal, stable and controllable causes for obesity than children with unhealthy body weight/obesity did. The latter mentioned more external, unstable and controllable causes than their counterparts. Conclusions: Understanding children's causal attributions for obesity is expected to deepen our knowledge of obesity enablers and help design interventions matching children's perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a lack of research on the Arab American population despite a noted increase in divorce and marital discord among Arabs and Arab American couples. Moreover, knowledge is limited on ways to enhance existing couple-based treatments to become more sensitive toward the unique intersection that Arab American couples are faced with. One consideration when improving treatment is to examine and better understand the negative attributions Arab American spouses make about each other's behavior, as they can be detrimental to the satisfaction of the relationship. In this study, a sample of 142 married Arab Americans were asked to complete the Relationship Attribution Measure, Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). A large portion of the participants fell within the distressed range of the DAS. Attributions, especially motivations and blame, were significant predictors of relationship satisfaction. Both causal and responsibility attributions were associated with depression, while only responsibility attributions were associated with anxiety. Results are discussed in terms of how future research and couple-based interventions can integrate cultural considerations within this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across all cultures, parents have intuitive ideas ("ethnotheories") of what undesirable child characteristics are as well as how to explain them. Yet there have been relatively few cross-cultural comparisons of parents' ethnotheories about the nature and causes of child misbehavior. 108 mothers of 5-year-old children from the United States (N = 52; M age = 5.26, SD = 0.07) and mainland China (N = 56; M age = 5.31, SD = 0.20) were recruited to participate in a semi-structured interview that allowed parents to generate open-ended responses in relation to the nature and causes of children's misbehavior. Parents were asked to describe the behaviors they would least like to see in their children, before providing causal attributions to a series of hypothetical vignettes depicting a range of externalizing-type child behaviors. Parents' responses were coded based on common themes. Across both cultures, mothers endorsed social insensitivity as the most undesirable child characteristic. With regard to cross-cultural differences, mothers from the US highlighted aggressive and disruptive behaviors as the most salient child misbehaviors, whereas parents from mainland China emphasized cognitive and motivational difficulties. Regarding causes of child misbehaviors, American mothers were more likely than Chinese mothers to report momentary internal states as the primary causes of child misbehavior, followed by immature development. Conversely, Chinese parents attributed child misbehavior primarily to social influences, followed by temperament. Our results provide a significant contribution to our understanding on how parents across cultures define and explain misbehaviors in young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of perceived parenting styles, causal attributions for academic success/failure, and perceived school performance (PSP) on adolescents' psychological well-being (PWB). Participants were 200 Brazilian adolescents who answered the Parenting Styles & Dimensions Questionnaire, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the Rating Scale of Causal Attributions for Academic Success/Failure (RSCA). The results showed that adolescents' PWB was predicted by authoritative parenting style (APS), internal and controllable attributions (appropriate motivations to cope with academic success/failure; ICASF), and PSP. In addition, we tested a mediation model showing that the ICASF mediated the relationship between APS and PSP, which in turn led to better PWB. These results highlighted the relevance of parenting styles and school-based causal attributions for the understanding of adolescents' mental health. Our findings can support interventions that enable more effective teaching–learning processes, which are associated with higher levels of mental health for the adolescent population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background According to the Common-Sense Model of Illness Representations, illness beliefs, such as causal attributions, can influence the way people assess and cope with their illness and vice versa. To date, causal attributions in people with depressive symptoms have been studied mainly cross-sectionally, quantitatively and independently. The purpose of this study is to examine the causal attributions of people with depressive symptoms in terms of their stability over time, dependence on treatment experience, and differentiation of causal concepts. Methods In a population-based prospective sample, people with at least mild depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 Score ≥ 5) were interviewed via telephone at T0 and twelve months later (T1). Causal attributions were assessed using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. After the open responses were qualitatively analysed using a deductive-inductive approach, stability over time was assessed for causal attributions and concepts by comparing answers between the two time points. Subsequent exploratory quantitative analyses were conducted using chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression analyses. Results A total of 471 individuals (age M = 53.9, 53.6% female) with a mean PHQ-9 Score of 8.4 were included in the analyses. Causal attributions related to participants’ social environment, workplace, and past are the most stable over time. However, individuals with and without a time-stable causal concept showed no differences in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, severity of depressive symptoms, risk of comorbidity, and treatment experiences. Overall, the causal concepts of people with depressive symptoms appear to be very diverse. Those with treatment experience (M = 2.21, SD = 0.80) named significantly more causal attributions compared to people without treatment experience (M = 1.98, SD = 0.81, t(471) = -3.060, p

Background: According to the Common-Sense Model of Illness Representations, illness beliefs, such as causal attributions, can influence the way people assess and cope with their illness and vice versa. To date, causal attributions in people with depressive symptoms have been studied mainly cross-sectionally, quantitatively and independently. The purpose of this study is to examine the causal attributions of people with depressive symptoms in terms of their stability over time, dependence on treatment experience, and differentiation of causal concepts. Methods: In a population-based prospective sample, people with at least mild depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 Score ≥ 5) were interviewed via telephone at T0 and twelve months later (T1). Causal attributions were assessed using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. After the open responses were qualitatively analysed using a deductive-inductive approach, stability over time was assessed for causal attributions and concepts by comparing answers between the two time points. Subsequent exploratory quantitative analyses were conducted using chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression analyses. Results: A total of 471 individuals (age M = 53.9, 53.6% female) with a mean PHQ-9 Score of 8.4 were included in the analyses. Causal attributions related to participants' social environment, workplace, and past are the most stable over time. However, individuals with and without a time-stable causal concept showed no differences in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, severity of depressive symptoms, risk of comorbidity, and treatment experiences. Overall, the causal concepts of people with depressive symptoms appear to be very diverse. Those with treatment experience (M = 2.21, SD = 0.80) named significantly more causal attributions compared to people without treatment experience (M = 1.98, SD = 0.81, t(471) = -3.060, p < 0.01). In addition, logistic regression analyses revealed that treatment-experienced respondents were more likely to attribute "childhood/youth/parental home" and "predisposition". Conclusions: Our study reveals that people with treatment experience tend to report treatment-congruent causal attributions, such as childhood and family environment, as well as predisposition, more frequently. Understanding how causal attributions and concepts are formed and change can be helpful for addressing causal attributions in treatment. Future studies should take into account the benefits of employing qualitative survey methods for exploring causal attributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Psychology & Education / Revista de Psicología y Educación is the property of Revista de Psicologia de Educacion 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.)

Purpose: This study aims to outline the role of causal attributions in consumer responses to irresponsible corporate behaviour. Specifically, this paper presents a moderated mediation model that explains how four types of perceived motives behind an irresponsible action shape corporate blame and word-of-mouth recommendations. Design/methodology/approach: To test the hypotheses, the study uses data from a large survey assessing consumer reactions to a real case of corporate socially irresponsible behaviour in the banking industry. Findings: The findings show that market-, unethicality- and rogue employee-driven attributions increase corporate blame and subsequently make people more likely to spread negative comments regarding the culprit. The difficult situation of a bank, as a perceived reason for wrongdoing, does not reduce the blame attributed to the irresponsible organisation. Originality/value: The literature offers little information on the attributions people make following egregious corporate behaviour; however, such cognitions can play an important role in stakeholders' reactions to wrongdoing. This study therefore extends the understanding of how irresponsibility attributions affect consumers' responses to misbehaviour. Given the empirical context, the findings might be particularly important for communication and bank managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequent exposure to victimization by peers is related to greater psychological problems. It is often assumed that peer victimization is associated with fewer psychological problems in classrooms where defending victims of bullying is common (i.e., a norm). The few studies testing this claim have been cross-sectional and have produced mixed findings. The current preregistered study examined whether the prospective link between victimization and psychological adjustment (i.e., depressive symptoms and self-esteem) was moderated by classroom defending norms. Moreover, we aimed to explain why defending norms may have either beneficial or adverse effects on victims' adjustment, by focusing on two cognitive processes: victims' causal attributions and social comparisons. Three waves of data were collected among 3,470 Finnish fourth- to ninth-grade students from 227 classrooms (Mage = 13.04, 50.1% girls). Multilevel regression analyses showed that nonvictimized youth benefited from high defending norms, whereas victims' psychological adjustment did not vary as a function of defending norms. Therefore, no mediation analyses were conducted. Nonpreregistered additional analyses indicated that stable victims had greater psychological problems and higher self-blame over time in classrooms with higher defending norms. Thus, even though the majority of students seem to profit from defending norms, this might not be true for those who most urgently need help. Public Significance Statement: As bullying is a group process, it is often thought that victims have better psychological adjustment if they are in a healthy or caring classroom, such as a classroom in which it is normative to stand up for victims (i.e., high defending norms). The current study indicates that many victims, however, do not appear to profit from being in a classroom with high defending norms, and stable victims may even have more psychological problems in such classrooms. Thus, this study indicates that encouraging peers to defend victimized classmates may not be enough to help all victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reports of the criteria pollutants in the Megalopolis, located in the central part of Mexico, consistently show air quality standard exceedances in most of the cities that make it up, since it is a large concentration where approximately 17% of the national population resides and because it has significant commercial and industrial development. To investigate the similarities and disparities in risk perception concerning air pollution and climate change among residents living in Central Mexico, a cross-sectional survey study was carried out within three metropolitan areas encompassed by the Megalopolis. A total of 1750 questionnaire surveys were conducted across 21 municipalities within the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), 16 municipalities within the Toluca Valley Metropolitan Area (TVMA), and 8 municipalities within the Cuernavaca Metropolitan Area. The three metropolitan areas showed significant differences in terms of air quality perception, risk perception, attitudes, and causal attribution perception, but health-related perception did not have significant differences among the areas. The MCMA exhibited higher knowledge about air pollution, although it associated the causes with urban activities such as car usage, while the Toluca and Cuernavaca areas linked this issue to the burning of garbage, coal, wood, and agricultural activities. Although residents expressed concern about air pollution, climate change, and their effects, they do not know how to act to contribute to the solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unemployed people constitute a stigmatized group. They are perceived as lazy hucksters who could find a job if they just really tried. The aim of the present work was to identify mechanisms underlying this negative perception of unemployment in the context of intergroup relationships. Specifically, we focused on the influence of meritocratic beliefs on the tendency to attribute unemployment to the unemployed individuals themselves. In three experimental studies, participants had to explain the situation of a person presented either as 'working' or as 'looking for a job'. Before this task and in an ostensible unrelated study, meritocratic beliefs were measured. Results showed that participants high in meritocratic beliefs explained unemployment less externally and more internally than participants low in meritocratic beliefs. Interestingly, these differences in causal attributions between high and low meritocratic believers appeared specifically for unemployment in Studies 1 and 2. Taken together, these results suggest that high meritocratic believers tend to consider that unemployed individuals are responsible for their unfortunate situation and have only themselves to blame. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectivesMethods and MeasuresResultsConclusionsSelf-directed ageism is the application of stereotypic age-related beliefs to oneself, and is known to negatively impact health-related motivation (Levy, 2003;  2022). This study focused on the specific self-directed stereotype that ‘age causes illness’ and aimed to develop and test a multi-item measure to assess this implicit, limiting belief.Survey data was collected from N = 347 adults in southeastern Idaho (ages 45–65 years old, 60% female). A variety of measures were used to assess the discriminant, convergent and predictive validity of the Age Causes Illness scale including: socio-demographics (age, sex, education), psychosocial resources (personality, optimism, social support, depressive symptoms), health/aging expectations, and indicators of physical health.The seven-item Age Causes Illness scale is reliable and shows an expected pattern of discriminant and convergent correlations with relevant socio-demographic, psychosocial, and aging-related measures. The belief that ‘age causes illness,’ as assessed with this new scale, is related to both objective and subjective indicators of physical health.The Age Causes Illness scale is a brief screening tool, potentially applicable in behavioral health settings as an initial step toward discussion of the implicit, and often unchallenged, belief that age alone determines the onset, progression, and offset of illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a lack of research on the Arab American population despite a noted increase in divorce and marital discord among Arabs and Arab American couples. Moreover, knowledge is limited on ways to enhance existing couple-based treatments to become more sensitive toward the unique intersection that Arab American couples are faced with. One consideration when improving treatment is to examine and better understand the negative attributions Arab American spouses make about each other’s behavior, as they can be detrimental to the satisfaction of the relationship. In this study, a sample of 142 married Arab Americans were asked to complete the Relationship Attribution Measure, Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS). A large portion of the participants fell within the distressed range of the DAS. Attributions, especially motivations and blame, were significant predictors of relationship satisfaction. Both causal and responsibility attributions were associated with depression, while only responsibility attributions were associated with anxiety. Results are discussed in terms of how future research and couple-based interventions can integrate cultural considerations within this group.

Only a small proportion of refugees requiring treatment actually receive psychotherapy. Alongside structural barriers, it has been hypothesized that causal attributions for mental health problems that deviate from Western explanatory models may reduce refugees' help-seeking behavior. Prevailing assumptions suggest that refugees predominantly hold causal beliefs that are incompatible with the rationales of psychotherapy. Testing these assumptions requires a reliable assessment tool to evaluate refugees' causal beliefs. Therefore, we developed the Causal Attributions for Mental Health Problems Scale (MH-CAUSE) and validated it in a sample of Middle Eastern refugees living in Germany (N = 429). The outcomes of the psychometric analysis, which included exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, and convergent validity, indicate that the MH-CAUSE is a suitable instrument for assessing refugees' causal beliefs about mental health problems. Our findings suggest that refugees' causal attributions are in line with a biopsychosocial-spiritual model of mental illness. Contrary to common assumptions, the majority of participants predominantly explained mental illness via psychosocial and biomedical causes, whereas spiritual beliefs were relevant only for a minority of participants. We observed significant associations between causal beliefs and help-seeking attitudes and behavior. However, effect sizes were only small to moderate. While mental health beliefs might contribute to mental health inequities, alleged cultural differences of refugees should not be overemphasized.

Copyright of International Journal of School & Educational Psychology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

Japan's remuneration systems are moving away from seniority‐based pay towards individual performance‐based pay. We tested how the latter system works within the Japanese cultural context and whether the operation and functioning of the system reflects general psychological tendencies found in Japan. Japanese (Study 1 n = 197; Study 2 n = 235) and European American (Study 1 n = 201; Study 2 n = 186) participants read vignettes that described workplace success centred on a focal employee and including a team. Participants attributed contribution and rewards (financial and status) to a range of agents and factors with graded levels of focus, from the focal employee having the greatest and luck having the least. In general, we found that Japanese participants attributed greater contribution and reward to less focal agents and factors while European American participants attributed greater contribution and reward to more focal agents, in addition to some specific differences between the tasks and reward types. We discuss implications for more nuanced theorizing of the interaction between institutional systems and psychological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, 43 obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) patients receiving cognitive‐behavior therapy (CBT)/exposure and response prevention (ERP) in an intensive residential treatment program responded to an open‐ended question about causal attributions (i.e., personal explanations for the etiology of their OCD) at baseline and the Yale‐Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y‐BOCS) at baseline and treatment discharge. Baseline self‐reported responses about causal attributions were qualitatively coded to derive predictors (biological/genetic, environmental, psychological, and interactional attributions). Predictors were entered into a binary logistic regression with Y‐BOCS responder status (at least partial response [≥25% pre‐post reduction] vs. no response) as the outcome. After controlling for length of stay and number of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, only biological/genetic attributions uniquely predicted increased odds of treatment response, odds ratio = 10.04, p = 0.03. Biological/genetic attributions may reduce self‐blame for symptoms or increase expectancy violation likelihood during treatment, thereby improving odds of response. Clinicians should assess OCD patients' causal attributions as part of routine clinical care to hopefully optimize treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Rape myths are marked for being false beliefs about sexual assault. With the problem being quite prevalent around the world, research has shown that numerous factors such as rape proclivity and perpetuation of rape myths are critical. The present study assesses the role of rape myths acceptance, rape victim empathy, and causal attributions towards rape victims as significantly predicting attitudes towards rape victims among the general population of Pakistan. Rape myths acceptance and causal attributions would significantly and positively predict negative attitudes towards rape victims. Method A cross-sectional research design was used for the study. The online survey questionnaire was filled by 573 participants including 275 males and 298 females who were selected through purposive sampling from the general population of Pakistan. The sample size was estimated using G*Power analysis with 95% confidence intervals. Data collection was done using Illinois rape myths, attitudes towards rape victim’s scale, rape victim empathy, and causal attributions scale were used. Data analysis was done using Pearson product-moment correlation, hierarchical regression, MANOVA, and mediation analysis via AMOS, all of which were executed using SPSS 21.0. Results The findings showed that higher levels of rape myths acceptance, low empathy towards rape victims, and victim blaming are significantly associated with negative attitudes towards rape victims. There were no gender differences among the participants. However, rape victim empathy significantly mediated the association between rape myths acceptance and rape victim empathy. It was also found that rape myths acceptance, rape victim empathy, and causal attributions significantly predicted attitudes towards rape victims. Another core finding was that there were no gender differences among participants with regard to rape myths acceptance, rape victim empathy, causal attributions, and attitudes towards rape victims. Conclusions Therefore, the findings contribute towards a better understanding of the rape myths in the general population of Pakistan and how the prevalence of such myths may contribute towards social, cultural, and legal problems of rape myths. The study also provides policy implications for a region where rape victims experience higher levels of blame and limited legal backing and support.

Background and Objective: Causal attributions are reasons given to certain events in life including failure and success. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the attributions perceived as the cause of failure by post graduate residents, failing the final clinical exit examination of Fellowship of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (FCPS). Methods: This exploratory study was conducted from July 2021 to July 2022, at Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. Study population was selected by purposeful maximal variation sampling. A total of ten post graduate residents from four specialties, failing in FCPS part two clinical examination were included. After written informed consent, semi structured face to face, in depth interviews were conducted. Data saturation was achieved after eight interviews after which two more interviews were carried out. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of the data was done by synthesizing codes into categories and themes. Results: A total of 17 attributions noted were grouped into five categories namely 'Inadequate exam preparation', 'Personal factors,' 'Exam related factors,' 'Training related factors and 'Luck'. Two main themes of External and Internal factors emerged from these. Common attributions were; lack of effort (8/10), inadequate knowledge (8/10), family commitments (7/10), luck (8/10) and examiner's attitude (5/10). Conclusions: Most of the residents attributed internal, unstable and controllable factors like inadequate knowledge and lack of effort. In addition, external uncontrollable factors of bad luck and harsh attitude of examiners were considered as contributory factors towards failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attributional theories investigate the psychological consequences of causal attributions; that is, perceived causes of events. Since causal attributions are related to behaviors in a wide range or domains, it is possible that they are also influential in driving context. This study aims to conduct a preliminary investigation of the relationship between causal explanations and subsequent behavior in traffic context. A total of 397 participants (145 female, 252 male) completed a survey battery composed of demographic information form, the Causal Dimension Scale-II, the Driver Skill Inventory, and the Driver Behavior Questionnaire. Results showed that as opposed to the original use of the CDSII, causal explanations in driving were grouped around 3 dimensions, namely personal control, external control, and stability. Stability of weaknesses was negatively associated with positive behaviors and safety skills; whereas the relationships were reversed for stability of strengths. Stability of strengths was also associated with decreased ordinary violations and errors. This study was an initial research investigating the relationship between causal attributions and human factors in driving. Results of it open new windows for those researchers who are interested in the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is scarce and conflicting information on how Turkish immigrants express, experience, and understand common mental health difficulties (CMHDs) as well as their preferences and needs. This conflict often emerges in the literature around symptom presentation and the causal attributions of CMHDs. Since inconsistent information may have real life consequences for Turkish immigrants it is important to investigate this area. The aim of this review was to explore the experiences and understandings of common mental health difficulties of Turkish immigrants. A systematic review using thematic synthesis adopted from Thomas & Harden (2008) was conducted to evaluate the existing literature. CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycArticles and PsychInfo were searched. Only qualitative studies conducted with Turkish immigrants with lived experience were included (n = 10). The analysis was data-driven (inductive) leading to three themes with twelve subthemes being generated. Participants reported experiencing both emotional and physical symptoms. They linked their distress to significant life events and chronic adverse conditions, interpersonal conflict, immigration and discrimination related problems and problematic encounters with healthcare workers. Traditional/spiritual and biological understandings of mental health were also discussed. Family and social support, personal resources, and the utilisation of medical and traditional/spiritual resources were reported as coping strategies, though some were sceptical about the latter. This review found that Turkish immigrants experienced and expressed their distress in both emotional and physical terms, just like many other communities. Their understandings were mainly psychosocial but contained elements of biomedical and traditional models. Since research in this area is limited, further and better research is recommended. Policy makers and practitioners are also advised to provide meaningful and effective care for every community, including Turkish immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Yüzüncü Yıl University, Faculty of Education is the property of Yuzuncu Yil University, Faculty of Education 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.)

Chronic pain is associated with high levels of psychological distress, which can have implications for general functioning, acceptance, quality of life, and compliance with health-promoting behaviour. This study explored the association between pain-related factors and psychological distress in a sample of patients with long lasting temporomandibular disorder (TMD). In this cross-sectional study design, psychological distress was measured in 133 Norwegian patients with long lasting and severe TMD. Participants completed a survey including the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and questions about pain intensity, pain duration, catastrophizing, and causal attributions of their TMD symptoms along with a clinical interdisciplinary investigation. Higher levels of catastrophizing were associated with psychological distress. Pain intensity was associated with psychological distress in the unadjusted model, but not when controlling for the other variables. The majority attributed their TMD symptoms to physical factors. The findings support psychological interventions aimed at reducing catastrophizing in treatment of TMD. However, the patients emphasized physical causes for their TMD symptoms, suggesting that psychological interventions alone are not sufficient. The findings support a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is evidence that culture deeply affects beliefs about mental illnesses' causes, treatment, and help-seeking. We aimed to explore and compare knowledge, attitudes toward mental illness and help-seeking, causal attributions, and help-seeking recommendations for mental illnesses across various Arab countries and investigate factors related to attitudes toward help-seeking. Methods: We carried out a multinational cross-sectional study using online self-administered surveys in the Arabic language from June to November 2021 across 16 Arab countries among participants from the general public. Results: More than one in four individuals exhibited stigmatizing attitudes towards mental illness (26.5%), had poor knowledge (31.7%), and hold negative attitudes toward help-seeking (28.0%). ANOVA tests revealed a significant difference between countries regarding attitudes (F = 194.8, p <.001), knowledge (F = 88.7, p <.001), and help-seeking attitudes (F = 32.4, p <.001). Three multivariate regression analysis models were performed for overall sample, as well as Palestinian and Sudanese samples that displayed the lowest and highest ATSPPH-SF scores, respectively. In the overall sample, being female, older, having higher knowledge and more positive attitudes toward mental illness, and endorsing biomedical and psychosocial causations were associated with more favorable help-seeking attitudes; whereas having a family psychiatric history and endorsing religious/supernatural causations were associated with more negative help-seeking attitudes. The same results have been found in the Palestinian sample, while only stigma dimensions helped predict help-seeking attitudes in Sudanese participants. Conclusion: Interventions aiming at improving help-seeking attitudes and behaviors and promoting early access to care need to be culturally tailored, and congruent with public beliefs about mental illnesses and their causations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Theoretical Educational Science / Kuramsal Eğitimbilim Dergisi is the property of Afyon Kocatepe University, Faculty of Education 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.)

Objectives: Numerous facets of public and internalized mental illness stigma have been established. This study focuses on the stigma of being associated with someone with depression and cultural differences between a Western and an Eastern culture. The aim was to compare White British and South Asians living in the United Kingdom regarding their causal explanations for depression, stigma towards people with depression and stigma by association. Design: A cross‐sectional design. Methods: White British and South Asians (N = 137) in the United Kingdom completed a survey measuring attributions about the aetiology of depression, discriminatory potential towards people with depression and stigma by association. Results: Results revealed that South Asians attributed greater supernatural, moral and psychosocial causes to depression, while White British endorsed greater biological beliefs. South Asians reported a greater discriminatory potential towards people with depression (lower willingness for closeness, greater desire for social distance) than White British. They also indicated greater affective, cognitive and behavioural stigma by association. Stigma by association mediated the relationship between cultural group and willingness for closeness as well as desire for social distance. Perceived dangerousness was a mediator for willingness for closeness. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a greater consideration of the role of culture in the understanding of mental health is important to combat stigma towards individuals with depression and those close to them across Western and Eastern cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Stress and Coping Model and Post-Traumatic Growth Theory indicate adjustment procedures concepts after a crisis. The objective of this study was to assess the relationships between causal attributions, coping strategies and post-traumatic growth in male patients with acute myocardial infarction and variable cardiac function severity. Methods: Seventy-eight male patients surviving a myocardial infarction, were divided into two sub-groups based on left ventricular ejection fraction measurements [Group A (left ventricular ejection fraction: <45%, n = 34), Group B (left ventricular ejection fraction: ≥45%, n = 44)] and were interviewed after the acute phase of myocardial infarction, on the last day of their coronary unit stay. Medical data was obtained from their medical records. Causal Attributions' List, Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced and Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory were used. Results: Causal attributions were found to be related to active coping, emotional support, religious coping and self-blame in both groups. Planning, positive reinterpretation and active coping were the strategies associated positively with most of the post-traumatic inventory subscales in total data analyses. Conclusions: Diverse coping strategies were associated with posttraumatic growth factors. It is important to assess adjustment mechanisms in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. A tailored scheme therapy, considering patient's needs, has to be planned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our aim was to describe and compare self-reported causal attributions (interpretations of what caused an illness) among cancer survivors and to assess which sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are associated with them. Methods: Data from five population-based PROFILES registry samples (i.e. lymphoma (n = 993), multiple myeloma (n = 156), colorectal (n = 3989), thyroid (n = 306), endometrial (n = 741), prostate cancer (n = 696)) were used. Causal attributions were assessed with a single question. Results: The five most often reported causal attributions combined were unknown (21%), lifestyle (19%), biological (16%), other (14%), and stress (12%). Lymphoma (49%), multiple myeloma (64%), thyroid (55%), and prostate (64%) cancer patients mentioned fixed causes far more often than modifiable or modifiable/fixed. Colorectal (33%, 34%, and 33%) and endometrial (38%, 32%, and 30%) cancer survivors mentioned causes that were fixed, modifiable, or both almost equally often. Colorectal, endometrial, and prostate cancer survivors reported internal causes most often, whereas multiple myeloma survivors more often reported external causes, while lymphoma and thyroid cancer survivors had almost similar rates of internal and external causes. Females, those older, those treated with hormonal therapy, and those diagnosed with prostate cancer were less likely to identify modifiable causes while those diagnosed with stage 2, singles, with ≥2 comorbid conditions, and those with endometrial cancer were more likely to identify modifiable causes. Conclusion: In conclusion, this study showed that patients report both internal and external causes of their illness and both fixed and modifiable causes. This differsbetween the various cancer types. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Although the exact cause of cancer in individual patients is often unknown, having a well-informed perception of the modifiable causes of one's cancer is valuable since it can possibly help survivors with making behavioural adjustments in cases where this is necessary or possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated an approach to weight stigma reduction involving the provision of an exemplar inconsistent with belief systems underlying weight bias. Specifically, that people with higher weight eat unhealthy, high-calorie diets, and people with lower weight eat healthy, low-calorie diets. Providing exemplars that violate the stereotype's assumptions may lead to a change in beliefs, stereotypes, and ultimately, stigma. In an experimental, web-based study, 682 US-based participants were randomized to read narrative vignettes about a fictional middle-aged woman portrayed as either having stable, high body weight, or stable, low body weight, and as eating a long-term diet that was either high- or low- in calorie-dense foods. Two stereotype violation conditions involved a woman with higher weight who maintains a low-calorie diet (HWLC) and a woman with lower weight who maintains a high-calorie diet (LWHC). For the HWLC exemplar, results were consistent with stereotype change processes including heightened genetic causal attributions, reduced lifestyle attributions, and more positive attitudes toward the exemplar and "women with obesity" in general. Response to the LWHC exemplar was more uneven. Findings have implications in the understanding of judgments that people make about individuals based on their body size and dietary habits and suggests a new route for interventions that address weight stigma reduction. • Stereotypes associating larger body size with unhealthful eating habits are prevalent. • Exemplars with larger bodies and long-term low-calorie diet violate these stereotypes. • Exposure to a higher weight woman with a low-calorie diet results in reduced weight stigma. • Exposure to a lower weight woman with a high-calorie diet does not result in stereotype change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reports of the criteria pollutants in the Megalopolis, located in the central part of Mexico, consistently show air quality standard exceedances in most of the cities that make it up, since it is a large concentration where approximately 17% of the national population resides and because it has significant commercial and industrial development. To investigate the similarities and disparities in risk perception concerning air pollution and climate change among residents living in Central Mexico, a cross-sectional survey study was carried out within three metropolitan areas encompassed by the Megalopolis. A total of 1750 questionnaire surveys were conducted across 21 municipalities within the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA), 16 municipalities within the Toluca Valley Metropolitan Area (TVMA), and 8 municipalities within the Cuernavaca Metropolitan Area. The three metropolitan areas showed significant differences in terms of air quality perception, risk perception, attitudes, and causal attribution perception, but health-related perception did not have significant differences among the areas. The MCMA exhibited higher knowledge about air pollution, although it associated the causes with urban activities such as car usage, while the Toluca and Cuernavaca areas linked this issue to the burning of garbage, coal, wood, and agricultural activities. Although residents expressed concern about air pollution, climate change, and their effects, they do not know how to act to contribute to the solution.

Causal attributions, achievement goals, and self-efficacy comprise the motivational dimension of self-regulated learning. Due to the absence of scales to assess the causal attributions of Brazilian middle school students, this study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Causal Attributions Scale for Reading Comprehension. The study involved three samples: one of the expert judges and two composed of students. Evidence of content validity was found through theoretical and practical representativeness and the intelligibility of the scale items. The associations between the attributional causes and psychological dimensions proved validity based on the scale’s internal structure. The effects identified in the comparisons between the scale and achievement goals, and the scale and selfefficacy indicated validity based on the relationship with other variables. This instrument can be recommended for use by professionals in psychology and education. We also suggest the performance of further studies with the scale.

Background: Rape myths are marked for being false beliefs about sexual assault. With the problem being quite prevalent around the world, research has shown that numerous factors such as rape proclivity and perpetuation of rape myths are critical. The present study assesses the role of rape myths acceptance, rape victim empathy, and causal attributions towards rape victims as significantly predicting attitudes towards rape victims among the general population of Pakistan. Rape myths acceptance and causal attributions would significantly and positively predict negative attitudes towards rape victims. Method: A cross-sectional research design was used for the study. The online survey questionnaire was filled by 573 participants including 275 males and 298 females who were selected through purposive sampling from the general population of Pakistan. The sample size was estimated using G*Power analysis with 95% confidence intervals. Data collection was done using Illinois rape myths, attitudes towards rape victim's scale, rape victim empathy, and causal attributions scale were used. Data analysis was done using Pearson product-moment correlation, hierarchical regression, MANOVA, and mediation analysis via AMOS, all of which were executed using SPSS 21.0. Results: The findings showed that higher levels of rape myths acceptance, low empathy towards rape victims, and victim blaming are significantly associated with negative attitudes towards rape victims. There were no gender differences among the participants. However, rape victim empathy significantly mediated the association between rape myths acceptance and rape victim empathy. It was also found that rape myths acceptance, rape victim empathy, and causal attributions significantly predicted attitudes towards rape victims. Another core finding was that there were no gender differences among participants with regard to rape myths acceptance, rape victim empathy, causal attributions, and attitudes towards rape victims. Conclusions: Therefore, the findings contribute towards a better understanding of the rape myths in the general population of Pakistan and how the prevalence of such myths may contribute towards social, cultural, and legal problems of rape myths. The study also provides policy implications for a region where rape victims experience higher levels of blame and limited legal backing and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Avances en PsicologÍa Latinoamericana is the property of Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario 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.)

Copyright of Bordón: Journal of Education / Revista de Pedagogía is the property of Sociedad Espanola de Pedagogia 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.)

Copyright of Revista Complutense de Educación is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid 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.)

Theories on the cause of mental and emotional distress contribute to illness course and treatment. The theorizing of women's experience "as problem" has been widely critiqued by feminist psychologists yet continues in clinical practice. This qualitative study reports on data collected in a psychiatric outpatient clinic in south/central Mexico on the culturally embedded causal theories of mental illness among Mexican patients, a family member or caregiver, and their psychiatrists. The author reports on the influence of gender expectations and the view of "women as problem" in Mexico. Specifically, stakeholders considered that the idea of " mujeres abnegadas " (self-sacrificing women) was the cause of illness in female patients diagnosed with depressive or anxiety-related disorders. In the face of gendered violence and abuse, Mexican women were expected to be silent and submissive, to suppress their thoughts and feelings, and to endure (" aguantar ") their experiences to conform to gender-based expectations, and psychiatrists expressed little hope of alleviating women's suffering. The author discusses her findings in the context of broader sociocultural factors and globalizing forces in psychological theory and practice and provides future directions to help de-pathologize patients' distress, broaden awareness of the contextual forces that influence distress, and galvanize appropriate resources and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several factors have an effect on educational failure, which interactively intensify and strengthen each other, and the result of this causes the loss of social and human capital of a society. The present research was conducted with the aim of the effectiveness of teaching metacognitive techniques on the causal documents of learning problems of English language course of secondary school students of Qeshm city. The research method is a semi-experimental type, based on the initial monitoring, randomly among the student population, 36 students who had a score of less than 12 in the English course were randomly selected (18 in two groups, experimental and 18 controls) were selected. The research tools included the Auestionnaire of English Language Learning Problems in secondary schools (Javadan, 2014) and the Package of Meta-Cognitive Techniques (Qadampour, 2016), which dealt with meta-cognition, problem solving techniques and critical thinking for six sessions. Data analysis was done using the SPSS23 program and the analysis of the covariance method. According to the F values for the causal documents of English language learning (0.133) and the significance level (P≤0.05), no significant difference was observed between the control and experimental groups. Therefore, the main and secondary hypotheses of the research are rejected. In general, it can be concluded that the training of metacognitive skills takes place face-to-face and in the context of time and by applying these trainings in real life conditions, and training in virtual conditions does not have much effect for this group of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among people with psychiatric disorders, those with schizophrenia are subject to high levels of stigmatization. Research is necessary to identify new strategies that may help reduce the stigma of schizophrenia. Educational strategies using cognitive accounts, particularly early maladaptive schemas (EMSs), have shown promising results in the context of depression, but they have not been evaluated in the context of schizophrenia. The present study compared the effect on the stigma of three different educational strategies, based on cognitive distortions, biogenetics, and EMSs. A total of 378 students were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups. Three experimental groups were presented with a vignette that introduced 1 of 3 different etiological accounts of schizophrenia (cognitive distortions, EMSs, or biogenetics). The fourth group was presented with a text unrelated to schizophrenia. The participants completed questionnaires that measured their attitudes, empathic concern, and social distance toward people with schizophrenia, before and after reading the text. The intervention using the EMS etiology account for schizophrenia was the only one that led to a significant decrease in stigma. The latter effect was driven mainly by an increase in the level of empathic concern toward people with schizophrenia. Given that similar results have been observed for depression and that the role of EMSs in many psychiatric disorders has been demonstrated, studying the effects of EMS explanations for other stigmatized disorders may be promising for reducing the stigma of psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent meta-analyses have shown a significant link between symptoms of anxiety and depression, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The presence of these symptoms has a direct impact on the course and the recovery from the CVDs. A less analyzed aspect is the role played by the stress induced by the onset of CVDs conditions and, especially, by acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In this study, we assessed posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), emotional state, health habits, and subjective perception of the event and causal attributions regarding the infarct, in a sample of 76 patients who had suffered an AMI in the previous 48-72 hours. Structural equation analyses and path analyses showed that the severity of PTSS was predicted by the perceived severity of the AMI and by two specific beliefs (i.e., considering that the AMI is a hereditary condition and that the help of others will not be beneficial). The results suggest the possibility of early identification of patients with a higher risk of suffering a high level of stress derived from the AMI. Based on this evidence, we discuss the possibilities of making effective interventions to reduce these symptoms, often ignored in clinical practice, and improve the medical and psychological prognosis of people with AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic disease with the hallmark symptom of post-exertional malaise. Evidence for physiological causes is converging, however, currently no diagnostic test or biomarker is available. People with ME/CFS experience stigmatization, including the perception that the disease is psychosomatic. In a sample of 499 participants with self-diagnosed ME/CFS, we investigated perceived stigma as a pathway through which perceived others' causal attributions relate to lower satisfaction with social roles and activities and functional status. Higher perceived attributions by others to controllable and unstable causes predicted lower health-related and social outcomes via higher perceived stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure and dropout of university studies are issues that worry all nations due to the personal, social, and economic costs that this they entail. Because the dropout phenomenon is complex and involves numerous factors, to reverse it would involve a comprehensive approach through interventions aimed at the factors identified as key in the decision to drop out. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to determine the profile of students who enter the EPN (STEM higher-education institution) to analyze the characteristics that differentiate students who drop out early in their career and those who stay in school. A sample of 624 students who accessed the EPN leveling course (a compulsory course at the beginning of their studies) participated in the study. A total of 26.6% of the participants were women. A total of 50.7% of the participants passed the course. Data referring to social, economic, and academic variables were analyzed. Comparison techniques, as well as artificial neural networks, were used to compare characteristic profiles of students who passed the leveling course and those who dropped out. The results showed significant differences between the profiles of the students who passed and those who dropped out with regard to the variables related to previous academic performance and motivational and attributional aspects. The artificial neural networks corroborated the importance of these variables in predicting dropout. In this research, the key variables predicting whether a student continues or leaves higher education are revealed, allowing the identification of students at possible risk of dropping out and thus promoting initiatives to provide adequate academic support and improve student retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laypersons have a strong need to explain critical life events, such as the development of an illness. Expert explanations do not always match the beliefs of patients. We therefore assessed causal attributions made by women with a pathogenic germline variant in BRCA1/2 (gBRCA1/2-PV), both with and without a cancer diagnosis. We assumed that attributions would be associated with the control experience. We conducted a cross-sectional study of N = 101 women with a gBRCA1/2-PV (mean age 43.3 ± 10.9). Women answered self-report questionnaires on perceived causes and control. Most women (97%) named genes as a causal factor for the development of cancer. Surprisingly, the majority of women also named stress and health behavior (both 81%), environment (80%), and personality (61%). Women with a cancer diagnosis tended to endorse more causes. The attributions to personality (ρ = 0.39, p < 0.01) health behavior (ρ = 0.44, p < 0.01), and environment (ρ = 0.22, p < 0.05) were significantly associated with personal control, whereas attribution to genes showed a small, albeit significant association with treatment control (ρ = 0.20, p < 0.05). Discussing causal beliefs in clinical counseling may provide a "window of opportunity" in which risk factors and health behaviors could be better addressed and individually targeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Study Aim. Researchers since the late 1970s have been interested in finding out the reasons attributed to outcomes. To facilitate attribution research in Croatia we translated and validated The Revised Causal Dimension Scale (CDS-II) and examined its invariance when attributing most and least successful competition performances. Materials and methods. To achieve our stated aim, 384 kinesiology students completed the translated CDS-II. To test the latent structure of the questionnaire, we used CFA and tested two alternative models (orthogonal solution and model with correlated latent variables). Additionally, we examined the CDS-II invariance when attributing the most and the least successful competition performance in sport using longitudinal CFA. The reliability was tested using Cronbach alpha coefficients. Lastly, we tested differences in latent means between most and least successful performance using pairwise t-test. Results. Similar to the originally published findings, CFA indicated the CDS-II structure with correlated latent variables had an adequate and better fit than the orthogonal solution in both situations. Furthermore, we confirmed configural, metric and scalar invariance, as well as partial strict invariance since one item’s residuals differed significantly from the others. Cronbach alpha coefficients were adequate across both situations. Lastly, athletes attributed their most successful performances to more internal, stable and controllable reasons than their least successful performances. Conclusions. We confirmed that the Croatian version of the CDS-II has adequate psychometric properties and is therefore suitable for research in sport situations.

Homelessness is one of the most difficult social issues, and people who have experienced homelessness are often exposed to stigmatisation and negative public perception. Public perception of homeless people also depends on how citizens interpret and what they attribute the causes of homelessness to. Therefore, this paper is aimed at verifying the causal attributions of homelessness based on Weiner’s three-dimensional attribution model. The aim of the research was to examine the determinants of causal attributions of homelessness regarding certain sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics and attitudes towards homeless people. The research was conducted on a representative sample of citizens of the Republic of Croatia (n=1 010). The results showed that, on average, the citizens mostly attribute the causes of homelessness to factors related to the circumstances of a person’s life and the broader social context. Differences were found in certain sociodemographic characteristics, whereby women attribute the causes of homelessness more often to the circumstances of a person’s life and the broader social context, while participants with lower socioeconomic status attribute the causes of homelessness more often to structural factors. The results also point out regional differences in attributing the causes of homelessness to different factors. With regard to the attitude towards homeless people, it was found that participants who attribute the causes of homelessness to factors within the broader social context more also perceive homeless people more positively, considering that the state should take greater responsibility in caring for homeless people, and expressing more willingness to help homeless people. The results can contribute to a more effective development and implementation of intervention and policies aimed at sensitising the public regarding the issue and prevention of homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the attributions to which undergraduate university students ascribe academic achievement. Attribution theory was used as a means to understand scholastic success-failure. The questions that guided the study were the following: What are the causal attributions that predominate in students' academic achievement? Is there a difference between male and female students? Is there a difference if average grades and the number of failed subjects, factored as benchmarks of academic achievement, are considered? Do the measured attributions have any weight when predicting students’ grades? A Likert scale measuring eight different attributions of academic achievement was applied to 165 students. The results showed that the most important attribution for academic achievement was intelligence. Sex-related differences were found in two attributes: calm and effort. In general, students with four failed subjects were those with the lowest averages measured in attributions. The variables that predicted good grades for male students were effort and good teachers, for female students, a liking for teachers, luck, and attention.

Studies on the service failures involving a national carrier are still very limited. This present study strives to investigate the relationship between brand attitudes and behavioral intentions in the context of national carrier’s service failures as well as the moderating effect of causal attribution on the above main relationship. Data were collected from 419 airline passengers using the purposive sampling technique. Path analysis was used to analyze the data. The effect of brand attitude on behavioral intention is found to be positive significantly. The results also showed that out of the two dimensions of causal attribution, only stability moderates the relationship between brand attitudes on behavioral intention.