Attributional Style Test

What is attributional style?

Attributional style, also called explanatory style, is the habitual way you explain the causes of events in your life. The concept comes from the reformulated learned helplessness theory of Martin Seligman and colleagues. The original Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ, 1982) presents hypothetical events and asks people to explain their causes, which are then scored on three dimensions: internality (caused by me vs. external), stability (temporary vs. lasting), and globality (specific to this event vs. affecting many areas of life). Over the past decades, thousands of studies have linked these explanatory patterns to depression, resilience, achievement, and physical health.

The three dimensions

• Internality: The extent to which you see the cause of an event as coming from yourself or from external circumstances. Seeing good events as caused by you (internal) and bad events as caused by circumstances (external) supports optimism.
• Stability: The extent to which you see a cause as temporary or lasting over time. Treating bad events as temporary ('this one time') rather than permanent ('it will always be this way') protects motivation after setbacks.
• Globality: The extent to which you see a cause as affecting only this one situation or many areas of your life. Keeping bad events specific ('just this situation') instead of pervasive ('everything goes wrong') helps you bounce back.

References

• Seligman, M. E. P. (1990). Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
• Peterson, C., Semmel, A., von Baeyer, C., Abramson, L. Y., Metalsky, G. I., & Seligman, M. E. P. (1982). The Attributional Style Questionnaire. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 6(3), 287-300.

Frequently Asked Questions