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The Contribution of Attributional Style to Perceived Disability in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Longitudinal Study

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Abstract

The current study investigated the influence of general causal attributions on self-reported physical disability over the course of 1 year in a sample of 42 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Participants completed measures of attributional style, pain, and disability; physician assistants completed objective measures of disability on two occasions, approximately 1 year apart. Results indicated that internal attributions for disease-unrelated negative events assessed at Time 1 were associated with lower perceived physical disability, whereas stable attributions for negative events were associated with greater perceived physical disability 1 year later. These findings are discussed in terms of behavioral and characterological self-blame models, respectively. Implications of our findings for clinical management of RA are also discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma

    Kevin A. Hommel, John M. Chaney & Larry L. Mullins

  2. Internal Medicine Associates, P.C., Omaha, Nebraska

    William Palmer, Steven Wees & Harry Klein

Authors
  1. Kevin A. Hommel
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  2. John M. Chaney
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  3. Larry L. Mullins
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  4. William Palmer
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  5. Steven Wees
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  6. Harry Klein
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Hommel, K.A., Chaney, J.M., Mullins, L.L. et al. The Contribution of Attributional Style to Perceived Disability in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Longitudinal Study. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 7, 113–120 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009543631311

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