Attribution

This book initially was conceived in 1986 by Weary and Harvey as a revi­ sion and update of their 1981 Perspectives on Attributional Processes (pub­ lished by Wm. C. Brown," Dubuque, Iowa). However: toe extensive nature of recent work on attributional processes and the opportunity to collabo­ rate with Melinda Stanley as a coauthor led to a plan to develop a more comprehensive work than the 1981 book. It definitely is an amalgam of our interests in social and clinical psychology. It represents our commitment to basic theoretical and empirical inquiry blended with the applications of ideas and methods to understanding attribution in more naturalistic set­ tings, and as it unfolds in the lives of different kinds of people coping with diverse problems of living. The book represents a commitment also to the breadth of approach to attribution questions epitomized by Fritz Heider's uniquely creative mind and work in pioneering the area. To us, the attribu­ tional approach is not a sacrosanct school of thought on the human condi­ tion. It is, rather, a body of ideas and findings that we find to be highly useful in our work as social (JH and GW) and clinical (GW and MS) psychology scholars. It is an inviting approach that, as we shall describe in the book, brings together ideas and work from different fields in psychology-all concerned with the pervasive and inestimab1e importance of interpretive activity in human experience and behavior. This book initially was conceived in 1986 by Weary and Harvey as a reviƯ sion and update of their 1981 Perspectives on Attributional Processes (pubƯ lished by Wm. C. Brown," Dubuque, Iowa). However: toe extensive nature of recent work on attributional processes and the opportunity to collaboƯ rate with Melinda Stanley as a coauthor led to a plan to develop a more comprehensive work than the 1981 book. It definitely is an amalgam of our interests in social and clinical psychology. It represents our commitment to basic theoretical and empirical inquiry blended with the applications of ideas and methods to understanding attribution in more naturalistic setƯ tings, and as it unfolds in the lives of different kinds of people coping with diverse problems of living. The book represents a commitment also to the breadth of approach to attribution questions epitomized by Fritz Heider's uniquely creative mind and work in pioneering the area. To us, the attribuƯ tional approach is not a sacrosanct school of thought on the human condiƯ tion. It is, rather, a body of ideas and findings that we find to be highly useful in our work as social (JH and GW) and clinical (GW and MS) psychology scholars. It is an inviting approach that, as we shall describe in the book, brings together ideas and work from different fields in psychology-all concerned with the pervasive and inestimab1e importance of interpretive activity in human experience and behavior Front Matter....Pages i-x Front Matter....Pages 1-2 Introduction to Basic Attribution Theories....Pages 3-25 Theoretical Qualifications and Extensions....Pages 26-48 Theoretical Advances....Pages 49-65 Developmental Aspects of the Attributional Process....Pages 66-88 Front Matter....Pages 89-90 Attributional Processes in Close Relationships....Pages 91-105 Attribution and Health-Related Functioning....Pages 106-132 Attributional Processes and the Development of Dysfunctional Behaviors....Pages 133-147 Attributional Processes, Treatment of Maladaptive Behaviors, and the Maintenance of Behavior Change....Pages 148-163 Attributions and Achievement....Pages 164-188 Front Matter....Pages 189-189 Further Directions and Unresolved Questions....Pages 191-197 Back Matter....Pages 198-244