ABSTRACT
For some time, cognitive therapists have exam ined the utility of attribution theory and research for understanding the acquisition, maintenance, and remediation of clinical problems (cf. Fincham, 1983; Forsterling, 1980). Recently, this interest has manifested itself in the area of marital therapy as both practitioners and researchers have begun to emphasize the importance of attributions in marital dysfunction (e.g., Baucom, 1981; Berley & Jacobson, 1984; Doherty, 1981a, 1981b; Epstein, 1982; Fincham, in press; Jacobson, 1984; Revensdorf, 1984). Several writers have utilized the distinction made in attribution theory between internal and extenal causes and have argued that distressed spouses attribute negative partner behavior to internal factors that function to accentuate their negative impact and maintain marital distress (Berley & Jacobson, 1984; Wright & Fichten, 1976). Nondistressed spouses, in contrast, are thought to make external attributions for negative behavior, thereby minimizing its impact. Conversely, distressed spouses are hypothesized to make external attributions for positive partner behavior, whereas nondistressed spouses make internal attributions. It has also been suggested that these attribution patterns mediate behavior exchanges between spouses and thus account for differences in behavioral reciprocity between distressed and nondistressed couples (Berley & Jacobson, 1984: Fincham, in press).
