Presents arguments concerning the effectiveness of attributional counseling in light of possible deterioration effects. Discusses when attributional interpretations should be used, the amount of change such interpretations provided in research participants, and lack of a control condition in previous research design. (WAS)

Studied whether somatic content is more important than self-devaluation in producing depressive mood variations, using the Veltan Mood Induction Procedure on college students (N=302). Results indicated that students in the self-devaluation condition showed significantly more depressed affect than students in the neutral condition. (WAS)

Investigated the effects of differing counselor causal attribution frameworks (theoretical orientations). Shy subjects (N=36) participated in two structured 50-minute counseling sessions using two attribution treatments and a counseling control treatment. Outcome measures supported the hypothesis that the two causal treatments would not differ…

Attributions made by 64 children (4 to 16 years old) and their parents for the cause of the child's behavior problem were monitored during assessment interviews. Results support previously observed differences with parents making more attributions than their children to characteristics of the child. This pattern was affected by variations of…

Topic and time were found to influence the reliability of the Personal Attribute Inventory Scale (PAI) as a measure of attitudes towards oneself and normal and mentally handicapped students. Subjects were 138 college students (30 male and 108 female). (CM)

Investigates the effect of competition on attributions for performance on male (intellectual and spatial) or female (social and design) tasks. Contrary to predictions, males rated themselves as luckier than females in competitive conditions. However, as predicted, females made fewer self-serving attributions for the male than the female task.…

Televised and purely aural statements made by various speakers were presented at distinct locations in the recipient's surroundings. It was concluded that place provides especially privileged cues and that not all content-correlated background stimuli are equipotent cues in associative learning. (Author/PN)

Explored the degree to which clinicians attributed the client's problems to personality v situational factors. Results supported the hypothesis that previous tentative diagnoses result in personality-based attributions. A recency effect suggested that personality attributions may be lessened by presenting situational information after hearing the…

While theoretical analogs of misattribution therapy appeared promising, attempts with clinically relevant behaviors have not been successful. This study attempted to increase plausibility by manipulating familarity with the setting and psychological arousal in a clinically relevent situation. Authors conclude misattribution effect is not effective…

Whether there is consistency in pupils' attributions regarding their achievement outcome in two consecutive tests in (a) the same subject and (b) different subjects was explored. Results showed consistency in individuals' attributional patterns. However, consistency scores ensuing from the same achievement outcomes were greater than those from…

Studied children's attributions and evaluations concerning defense mechanisms used by other children. Children negatively evaluated the blame-externalizing defense of projection and viewed it as a masculine characteristic. The internalizing defense of self-blame was evaluated more positively and viewed as a feminine characteristic. (Author/DB)

College students learning they had done well or poorly on an examination were asked to evaluate the cause of the outcome, describe affective reactions, and estimate expectations about future test performances. Results support the contention that academic failure needn't lead to losses in achievement motivation, depression, or frustration.…

Personality and behavioral consequences of learned helplessness were monitored in children experiencing failure in school. The predictive quality of learned helplessness theory was compared with that of value expectancy theories. Low self-concept was predicted significantly by school failure, internal attributions for failure, and external…

In this review, little support is found for Piaget's claim that with increasing peer group interaction adult authority becomes less legitimate to the child. It is suggested that the adult exerts increasing influence with age on children's moral judgment and, therefore, emphasis on peer-centered moral education may be misdirected. (Author/SJL)

Interaction of Personal Involvement and Actual Outcome was not confirmed. Subjects attributed greater causality to the therapist's delivery when the actual outcome differed from the expected outcome. Subjects also attributed greater causality to the actor-therapist for a successful outcome. (Author/BEF)