Abstract
This study examined differences in attributions for and reactions to descriptions of inattentive-overactive (IO) and oppositional-defiant (OD) child behaviors in 43 parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. IO and OD behaviors did not differ in ratings of causal locus or stability, but OD behaviors were seen as more controllable than IO behaviors and elicited more negative reactions. Attributions of child behavior as controllable and internally caused were associated with more negative reactions. Correlations suggested that parents' reports of greater IO or OD behaviors in their own children were associated with more negative reactions to written descriptions of these behaviors. Correlations modest in size were revealed between parents' negative reactions to OD behaviors and lower levels of parenting satisfaction and efficacy. Negative reactions to IO behaviors were associated only with lower parenting satisfaction.
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This research was supported by grants from the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia Health Research Foundation to the first author. We express our appreciation to the parents who participated and to reviewers who provided comments on an earlier draft of the paper.
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Johnston, C., Patenaude, R. Parent attributions for inattentive-overactive and oppositional-defiant child behaviors. Cogn Ther Res 18, 261–275 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02357779
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02357779