Cognitive Therapy and Research

, Volume 16, Issue 1, pp 83–94 | Cite as

Attributional style in the reformulated learned helplessness model of depression: Cognitive processes and measurement implications

  • Kerrie J. Hill
  • Lisa M. Larson
Article

Abstract

Since the addition of attributional style to the learned helplessness model of depression (Abramson, Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978) there has been little refinement of the construct of attributional style. The authors suggest that the effects of memory and automatic vs. effortful cognitive processing need to be included in the definition of attributional style. This refinement of the concept of attributional style has implications for its measurement in the following areas: (a) the timing of measurement of attributions in relation to outcome events, (b) the use of hypothetical, real-life, and experimental outcome events, (c) the way attributions are solicited, and (d) how attributions are scored.

Key words

attribution depression learned helplessness measurement 
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Copyright information

© Plenum Publishing Corporation 1992

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kerrie J. Hill
    • 1
  • Lisa M. Larson
    • 1
  1. 1.University of NebraskaLincolnUSA

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