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Attributional style and learned helplessness: Relationship to the use of causal schemata and depressive symptoms in children
Author(s) -
Fincham Frank D.,
Diener Carol I.,
Hokoda Audrey
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8309.1987.tb00754.x
Subject(s) - learned helplessness , attribution , psychology , depressive symptoms , style (visual arts) , developmental psychology , association (psychology) , clinical psychology , social psychology , cognition , psychotherapist , psychiatry , archaeology , history
The attributional style associated with learned helplessness in children is examined in terms of its (i) stability over a six‐month period; (ii) impact on causal schemata used by children; and (iii) association with depressive symptoms. Seventy‐three fifth grade children provided attributions for success and failure and were divided into learned helpless and mastery‐oriented groups on the basis of the attributions typically associated with these response patterns. The attributional styles were relatively stable, influenced responses to stimuli used to investigate the use of causal schemata and were related to depressive symptoms. These results are discussed in terms of research on learned helplessness in children and several research questions are identified.