Abstract
This research examined the relation between dysphoria and the affective valence of different types of attributions. Dysphoric and nondysphoric subjects listened to descriptions of positive and negative social behaviors and were asked to generate several possible causes for these behaviors. Attributions were coded as dispositional, nondispositional, or situational, and were rated according to affective valence. Compared to nondysphoric subjects, dysphoric subjects' nondispositional and situational attributions were rated as more negative. The affective valence of dispositional attributions did not differ as function of level of dysphoria. Discussion focuses on how different social cognitive processes may vary in their susceptibility to mood-congruence effects.
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Sullivan, M.J.L., Conway, M. Dysphoria and valence of attributions for others' behavior. Cogn Ther Res 15, 273–282 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205173
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01205173