Attribution-changing measures in psychotherapy and medicine: theoretical foundation, applications and success
Haisch, J.
Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie Psychopathologie und Psychotherapie 43(3): 234-248
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0723-6557 PMID: 7645315 Document Number: 452454
Attributional changes in psychotherapy and medicine: Theory, application, and success. The treatment of eating disorders and diabetes, of smoking and hypokinesis is closely related to patients' attributions. Non-supporting attributions frequently excuse patients' lack of motivation to change risk behaviors sometimes, as with anorectic behavior, they even underline patients power to control their behavior. Critical experiences leading to patients' non-supporting attributions are reconstructed on the basis of Kelley's (1967) attribution theory; after defining supporting attributions for various diseases and health risks the critical information resulting in these attributions is defined. Corresponding changes in patients' attribution will reduce patients' non-compliance and support success in therapy. Though little research is published on long-term effects of attributional changes, patients' belief in supporting attributions will stabilize therapy success.