The perpetrator-others-self (POS) economic model of blame among interpersonal trauma survivors

While the association of trauma-related blame with adverse mental outcomes is well known, the underlying processes of blame attribution among interpersonal trauma survivors are still inadequately understood. Hence, this study aimed to develop a new theoretical perspective on interpersonal trauma-related blame with a specific emphasis on the interplay between psychological and sociocultural dynamics. This study employed a qualitative, systematic approach, using constructivist grounded theory to guide data planning, collection, analysis, and the development of the final theoretical model. The final sample consisted of 36 in-depth, semistructured interviews with adult survivors of various interpersonal traumas, purposefully and theoretically sampled. The findings illustrate the perpetrator(s), other(s), and self economic model of blame, which theorizes how, following interpersonal trauma, blame is specifically attributed based on the perceived sociopsychological costs of each blame trajectory. These costs are calculated according to what I term "affordable blame heuristics." The perpetrator(s), other(s), and self economic model of blame conceptualizes blame and the processes of projective and introjective blame attribution as being shaped in a selective, functional, and affordable manner. This model provides an integrated sociopsychological perspective through which interpersonal trauma-related blame is not necessarily perceived as an inherently pathological, intrapsychic symptom but rather as a cost-effective solution. By adopting this perspective, clinicians can gain a deeper understanding of their clients' experiences and how they attribute blame. That understanding can facilitate productive, joint investigations that help clients liberate themselves from the negative effects of the often self-perpetuating cycle of blame. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).