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Mothers' attributions for behavior in nonproblem boys, boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and boys

Charlotte Johnston1, Mandy Chen, Jeneva Ohan

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. cjohnston@psych.ubc.ca

Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology : the Official Journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53
|January 5, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Mothers of boys with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder attribute child behavior more negatively, viewing causes as stable and global. This impacts understanding and support for these children.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Parental attributions influence child behavior perception and intervention.
  • Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant (OD) behaviors present unique challenges for families.
  • Understanding maternal attributions is crucial for effective family support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare maternal attributions for child behavior across groups: nonproblem boys, boys with ADHD, and boys with ADHD and OD.
  • To investigate how mothers perceive the causes of their children's behavior.
  • To explore the implications of these attributions for families with children exhibiting ADHD and OD.

Main Methods:

  • Study involved mothers of 38 nonproblem boys, 26 with ADHD, and 25 with ADHD/OD (ages 7-10).
  • Two assessment methods were used: rating causes of written child behavior descriptions and in vivo coding of attributions during lab tasks.
  • Attributions were assessed based on internality, controllability, globality, and stability.

Main Results:

  • Mothers of boys with ADHD/OD perceived causes of oppositional and inattentive-impulsive behaviors as more stable and global than mothers of nonproblem boys.
  • Mothers of boys with ADHD/OD attributed child failures on lab tasks more negatively (child-negative attributions) compared to mothers of ADHD-only or nonproblem boys.
  • Significant differences in attributional styles were observed between groups.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal attributions for child behavior differ significantly based on the presence of ADHD and OD behaviors.
  • Findings suggest mothers of boys with ADHD/OD may hold more negative and pervasive views of their child's behavior causes.
  • Implications for assessment and intervention strategies in families with children diagnosed with ADHD and OD are highlighted.

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