Attributions for real and hypothetical events: Their relation to self-esteem and depression.

Abstract

The association between attributional style, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and general distress was examined to test hypotheses derived from a learned helplessness model and Weiner's (1979) attributional model of motivation. After answering questionnaires on depression, general distress, and self-esteem, 178 male and female undergraduate students were asked to make causal attributional ratings about 12 hypothetical events; 151 subjects also were asked to make diary ratings on 14 real events. Results revealed that attributional ratings were internally consistent across events; however, attributions about positive outcomes were either uncorrelated or positively correlated with attributions about negative outcomes, failing to support learned helplessness predictions that a single process underlies attributions about positive and negative events. As predicted, internal attributions for positive outcomes were primarily associated with high self-esteem. Only internal stable attributions for negative outcomes were related to depressive symptoms, consistent with Weiner's model. The pattern of correlation between attributions and general distress was essentially identical to that obtained with depressive symptoms. Attributions for real events were similar in their effects to ratings of hypothetical events.This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.

Attributional style and self-esteem as predictors of psychological well being

“…In a nonclinical sample, Zautra et al (1985) examined the association between attributional style, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and general distress and found that internal attributions for positive outcomes were primarily associated with high self-esteem. Only internal stable attributions for negative outcomes were related to depressive symptoms.…”

Resilience to depressive symptoms: The buffering effects of enhancing cognitive style and positive life events

“…For example, Needles and Abramson (1990) stated, ".even among those at risk for hopelessness depression, there may be a subset who have the hypothesized enhancing style for positive events and who thereby may be better able to recover." Indeed, studies reveal that negative and enhancing cognitive styles are either statistically unrelated (e.g., Voelz et al, 2003) or weakly positively correlated (correlations ranging from 0.01 to 0.40 in prior studies) and exhibit different patterns of associations with depressive symptoms (e.g., Sweeney, Anderson, & Bailey, 1986;Voelz et al, 2003;Zautra, Guenther, & Chartier, 1985).…”

Self-Esteem, Self-Prediction, and Living up to Commitments

“…Most individuals take credit for their successes and blame external factors for their failures (Cohen, van der Bout, Vliet, & Kmmer, 1989;Kuiper, 1978;Rizley, 1978;Zautra, Guenther, & Chartier, 1985). Low self-esteem individuals, however, are less likely to make these self-serving and self-protective attributions, and tend to make internal attributions for failure (Fitch, 1970;Ickes & Layden, 1978;Tennen & Henberger, 1987).…”