Characterological versus behavioral self-blame: Inquiries into depression and rape.

Abstract

Two types of self-blame--behavioral and characterological--are distinguished. Behavioral self-blame is control related, involves attributions to a modifiable source (one's behavior), and is associated with a belief in the future avoidability of a negative outcome. Characterological self-blame is esteem related, involves attributions to a relatively nonmodifiable source (one's character), and is associated with a belief in personal deservingness for past negative outcomes. Two studies are reported that bear on this self-blame distinction. In the first study, it was found that depressed female college students engaged in more characterologial self-blame than nondepressed female college students, whereas behavioral self-blame did not differ between the two groups; the depressed population was also characterized by greater attributions to chance and decreased beliefs in personal control. Characterological self-blame is proposed as a possible solution to the "paradox in depression." In a second study, rape crisis centers were surveyed. Behavioral self-blame, and not characterological self-blame, emerged as the most common response of rape victims to their victimization, suggesting the victim's desire to maintain a belief in control, particularly the belief in the future avoidability of rape. Implications of this self-blame distinction and potential directions for future research are discussed.

Cites (5)

1. Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.
   Rotter, Julian B. · 1966 · Psychological Monographs: General and Applied
2. A self-rating depression scale
   ZUNG, WILLIAM W. K. · 1965 · Archives of General Psychiatry
3. Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation.
   Abramson, Lyn Y., Seligman, Martin E., Teasdale, John D. · 1978 · Journal of Abnormal Psychology
4. Just world research and the attribution process: Looking back and ahead.
   Lerner, Melvin J., Miller, Dale T. · 1978 · Psychological Bulletin
5. Effects of control and predictability on the physical and psychological well-being of the institutionalized aged.
   Schulz, Richard · 1976 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Show all 5 references

Cited by (51)

1. An attributional theory of achievement motivation and emotion
   Weiner, Bernard · 1985 · Psychological Review
2. Illusion and well‐being: A social psychological perspective on mental health
   Taylor, Shelley E., Brown, Jonathon D. · 1988 · Psychological Bulletin
3. Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression.
   Abramson, Lyn Y., Metalsky, Gerald I., Alloy, Lauren B. · 1989 · Psychological Review
4. Social stigma and self-esteem: The self-protective properties of stigma.
   Crocker, Jennifer, Major, Brenda · 1989 · Psychological Review
5. Personal control and stress and coping processes: A theoretical analysis.
   Susan Folkman · 1984 · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

See all 1,073