title: An attributional analysis of formal caregivers' perceptions of agitated behavior of a resident with Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: This study uses an attributional framework to examine the relationships between attributions, feelings, expectations, and caregiving behaviors of 49 dementia caregivers. Principal components factor analysis was used to reduce attribution, feeling, expectation, and caregiver behavior items to their basic components. A series of multiple regressions was used to analyze the data. Attributions were a significant predictor of preventable/reversible expectations, with specific causation being the strongest predictor. Attributions were also a significant predictor of expectations of limited predictability and controllability, with general causation being the explanatory variable. Findings support the importance of examination of attributions and their impacts.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Nursing, Richmond.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fopma-Loy
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Austin
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001364:Awareness; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011595:Psychomotor Agitation / Q000523:psychology*