title: Staff responses to behaviour that challenges: the role of knowledge, attributions, and emotion regulation style.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, we explored the extent to which the knowledge and attributions of support staff predicted their reported helping behaviour in relation to people with an intellectual disability who displayed challenging behaviour (CB), and whether emotion regulation style moderated the relationship between attributions and this helping behaviour.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 107) completed self-report measures of knowledge of the meaning and management of CB, causal attributions and behavioural response to CB, and emotion regulation style.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Knowledge and helpful attributions were significantly correlated with reported helping behaviour; however, in a regression analysis with both predictors, only knowledge significantly contributed to the variance. No moderating effect was found for emotion regulation styles on the relationship between attributions and reported helping behaviour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge was the only significant predictor of reported positive staff approaches in managing CB, giving some support for the provision of staff training aimed at increasing knowledge, rather than changing attributions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wishart
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McKenzie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D057566:Self Report; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult