Date of Award
Winter 1996
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Department
Psychology
Committee Director
Neill Watson
Committee Member
J. Patrick Dorgan
Committee Member
Joy P. Kannarkat
Committee Member
Michael P. Nichols
Committee Member
Kelly G. Shaver
Abstract
Differences in circularity of attributions of causality, responsibility, intentionality and blame for clinical problems by therapists of psychodynamic, behavioral and systems orientations, a psychiatrist group, and an attorney control group were investigated using the Circularity-Linearity Attribution Scale (CLAS). Respondents' judgments about the sufficiency of a single cause for the problem, circular conceptualization of the problem, and linear conceptualization of the presented problems were also solicited. Responses were compared for two problems, schizophrenia and domestic violence. It was hypothesized that the systems-oriented therapists' attributions would be more circular than those of other therapist groups on all dependent variables. It was also hypothesized that there would be an interaction between professional group and problem type, with systems therapists making relatively more circular attributions of causality across problems, and psychiatrists making relatively more linear attributions of causality for schizophrenia than for domestic violence.
Circularity-Linearity Attribution scores for the groups were analyzed using a series of non-parametric statistical tests because the data did not meet assumptions for significant differences were found between attributions for the two problems by the total sample with domestic violence ranked more circularly on attributions of causality and sufficiency of a single cause, and domestic violence ranked more linearly on attributions of moral responsibility and blame. When attributions were analyzed within groups for the two problems, attorneys attributed moral responsibility and blame more linearly for domestic violence.
A significant difference was found between males and females in the psychodynamic therapist group on one dependent variable. On circular conceptualization of the problem, the female psychodynamic therapists rated the schizophrenia problem as better represented by the circular conceptualization diagram than the males in that group.
Limitations of the study were cited. Results were discussed in terms of implications for systems theory and utility of the CLAS.
Rights
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DOI
10.25777/jp73-x119
ISBN
9780591481303
Recommended Citation
Jones, Helen A..
"Therapist Orientation and Circularity-Linearity of Causality, Responsibility, Intentionality, and Blame for Clinical Problems"
(1996). Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Dissertation, Psychology, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/jp73-x119
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/psychology_etds/208
Comments
A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculties of The College of William and Mary, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk State University, and Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology through the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology.