title: Oh G-d, A Borderline: Clinical Diagnostics As Fundamental Attribution
 Error
creator: Schmalz, Jonathan
contributor: Murrell, Amy
contributor: Cox, Randall
contributor: Boals, Adriel
publisher: University of North Texas
date: 2011-12
language: English
description: Researchers raise concerns that the diagnostic approach can create
 stigma and lead to clinical inferences that focus on dispositional
 characteristics at the expense of situational variables. From social cognitive
 theory to strict behavioral approaches there is broad agreement that situation
 is at least as important as disposition. The present study examined the
 clinical inferences of graduate student clinicians randomly presented a
 diagnosis (borderline PD) or no diagnosis and either randomly given context
 information or no context information before watching a videotaped clinical
 interaction of a fabricated client. Responses to a questionnaire assessing
 dispositional or situational attributions about the client’s behavior
 indicated a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder did not significantly
 increase dispositional attributions and did not significantly moderate the
 importance of contextual factors. A notable difference between the
 attributions made by psychodynamic and third wave behavioral respondents was
 observed. Conceptual and experimental limitations as well as future directions
 are discussed.
subject: DSM
subject: stigma
subject: diagnostics
subject: attribution error
rights: Public
rights: Schmalz, Jonathan
rights: Copyright
rights: Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights
 Reserved.
type: Thesis or Dissertation
format: Text
identifier: http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc103389/
identifier: ark: ark:/67531/metadc103389