Intrapersonal and perceived interpersonal attributions: Determinants of help-seeking in low-literate adults

Previous research has indicated that, when making a decision about whether to request assistance, potential help seekers' own attributions (i.e., their intrapersonal attributions) for their problem play an important role. Internal attributions (viewing the problem as being caused by something inherent in the self) seem to impede help-seeking while external attributions (viewing the problem as being caused by external circumstances) do not. The present study sought to examine whether the help-seeking decision might also be influenced by perceived interpersonal attributions; that is, help seekers' perceptions about the attributions that other people will make for their difficulties. It was hypothesised that this type of attribution might be of particular importance when considering the help-seeking behaviour of groups which are stigmatized by society, such as adults who have difficulty reading and writing in their first language (low literate adults). Adult learners (a group of low literate adults), literacy tutors and a control group provided information concerning their attributional style, as well as their attributions for the reading difficulties of low literate adults. Beliefs about the way that low literate adults are viewed within society and the degree to which they believed that low literate adults should keep their reading problems a secret were also examined. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1993 .M274. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 32-06, page: 1710. Adviser: Stewart Page. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1993.