Cross-situational consistency in causal attributions: Does attributional style exist?

Abstract

Two studies are reported that critically evaluate the concept of an attributional style, as operationalized by the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ). Study 1 examined the reliability and validity of the ASQ and analyzed the factor structure of the measure. Only weak evidence of a cross-situationally consistent attributional style was found. An attempt to identify individuals who tended to be very consistent in their causal attributions on the ASQ similarly did not provide strong support for the attributional style concept. In Study 2 the relation between scores on the ASQ and causal attributions for actual negative events was examined. Attributional style scores were found to be poor predictors of actual causal attributions, and selecting highly consistent individuals did not improve the ASQ's predictive validity. The implications of these findings for the attributional style concept and an attributional analysis of depression are discussed.