Can attribution theory explain carers' propensity to help men with intellectual disabilities who display inappropriate sexual behaviour?
Stress that inappropriate sexual behaviour can change to increase staff hope and helping effort.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked 78 paid carers to read a short story. The story was about a man with intellectual disability who touches others in a sexual way.
Each carer then filled out a survey. The survey measured how much they blamed the man, felt sorry for him, and were willing to help.
What they found
Carers who believed the behaviour could change felt more hopeful. Hope led to more sympathy and a stronger wish to help.
Surprisingly, whether carers thought the man could control the behaviour did not predict helping. Only the belief that change is possible mattered.
How this fits with other research
Fields et al. (1991) found staff feel better when they can use strong aversives. That seems opposite, yet both papers show staff emotions hinge on how much power they believe they have.
Bowen et al. (2012) showed staff feel more positive when they already know the client group well. The 2008 study adds that optimism about change can create those same positive feelings even with a tough behaviour.
Whiting et al. (2015) found age and education shape attitudes. The new data say attitude also depends on the story staff tell themselves about whether change is possible.
Why it matters
Tell your team, "This behaviour can improve with the right plan." That single message boosts hope and willingness to work with clients who show inappropriate sexual behaviour. Use it in staff training, team meetings, and supervision to keep morale high and reduce burnout.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AIM: This study examined the responses of care managers and direct care staff to vignettes of inappropriate sexual behaviour by a man with an intellectual disability. The aim was to test the theory that helping behaviour is determined by emotional responses (positive and negative emotional reactions, and optimism), which in turn are determined by causal attributions (respectively: controllability and stability of the incident depicted in the vignette). METHOD: The vignettes varied in response topography and the age of the victim. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between causal attributions, emotional responses, and willingness to invest extra time and effort in the service user's care. RESULTS: No support was found for the pathway: low controllability --> increased sympathy and/or decreased negative emotions --> increased helping. However, strong support was found for the pathway: low stability --> high optimism --> increased helping, particularly in direct care staff. High levels of sympathy were also associated with increased helping, the effect again being mediated by feelings of optimism. CONCLUSIONS: The data provide support for one (but not the other) strand of attribution theory as applied to inappropriate sexual behaviour. The discussion considers the discrepancy between the present data and the far less encouraging literature on attribution theory as applied to challenging behaviour.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2008 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2007.00989.x