Group administration of the children's attributional style interview.
Research testing the reformulated theory of learned helplessness has been limited by the psychometric properties of instruments used to measure children's attributional style. Thus, the goal of this investigation was to modify a relatively new measure of attributional style that has demonstrated strong psychometric properties with young children and test its psychometric properties in a group administration with a sample of 238 fifth- and sixth-grade children. Results revealed strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability, significant correlations with another measure of attributional style, depressive symptoms, optimism, learned helplessness, and a factor structure that was consistent with theory. Overall, these results provide initial support for the use of a modified paper-and-pencil version of the Children's Attributional Style Interview in a group-administered format for children as young as fifth and sixth grade.
Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115, USA. syurueger@aol.com
Sandra Yu
SY
Rueger
Christine Kerres
CK
Malecki
D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*