An Attributional Approach to Counselor Supervision

The ideology of the American medical profession: An attribution perspective∗

Drawing upon conservation of resources (COR) and attribution theories, we develop a help‐giving discontinuity model. From the COR perspective, we theorize that when help‐giving is perceived to be obligation, prevention‐focused self‐regulation is triggered, which induces help‐giving discontinuity to prevent further loss of resources. Additionally, when a low likelihood of receiving reciprocated help is perceived, prevention‐focused self‐regulation is activated, which induces help‐giving discontinuity due to insufficient replenishment of resources. From the attribution perspective, we propose that a co‐worker's lack of effort and recurrence of the same task‐related issue promote dispositional attributions, which result in help‐giving discontinuity. Our model, therefore, provides an important theoretical base for future research investigating why some employees continuously help others while others do not.

Existing research often highlights the negative consequences of algorithmic management (AM) for platform workers. By contrast, less is known about what, how, and when AM may produce both positive and negative outcomes. Drawing on attribution theory, this study examines the dual effects of core AM dimensions (i.e., algorithmic recommending, restricting, evaluating, and rewarding) on platform workers' perceptions of work overload and customer‐oriented service behavior. A two‐wave survey of 213 online platform workers in China reveals that algorithmic recommending and rewarding improve customer‐oriented service behavior and reduce work overload through AM commitment attributions. However, AM control attributions link algorithmic restricting, recommending, and evaluating (the latter two at low algorithmic transparency) to increased work overload. Algorithmic transparency moderates these effects, reducing the negative impacts of AM through AM control attributions. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the dual effects of core AM dimensions and provide practical insights for platforms seeking to enhance service quality while supporting worker well‐being.

Evidence-based research supports the incorporation of creative techniques in counselor supervision. There are numerous methods of implementing creative techniques within the supervisory process; sandtray is one such tool. This qualitative article discusses the power of creative approaches for supervision, explains how creative techniques assist supervisors in providing meaningful supervision, and reviews current literature supporting these arguments. This study involved the supervision of master’s-level counseling students by doctoral-level counseling supervisors. Supervisors used sandtray during initial, mid-term, and final supervisory sessions. Data included student journal entries, supervisor case notes, photos of sandtrays, and video recordings of sessions. Results of the study are discussed along with clinical implications and recommendations for future research.

It is rare to address gender issues in counseling supervision and little research has been devoted to these. This review describes supervisor and supervisee gender expectations, role disparities, supervisory relationship differences, and variations in communication styles of males and females. Specific suggestions are offered to remove gender bias from the supervision process.

This paper explores the effects of failure on an individual's self-concept. A model based on attribution theory, among others, is elaborated to predict how an individual's self-concept will be affected by failure situations. It is argued that where the individual chooses to attribute causality for failure, the situation will determine the effects of that failure on his self-concept unless the individual's belief system modifies the attribution process. This attribution is related to one major individual difference: a person's generalized expectancy for control. It is hypothesized that an individual's predisposition to conceive of causality as deriving from either controllable forces or uncontrollable forces will mediate the attribution process and hence the effect of the failure on his self-esteem. The hypothesized effects of failure on self-concept are tested by analysis of 122 undergraduate students' responses to a series of ten hypothetical failure situations. Responses to the situations were ...

We argue that although attributional processes appear to affect virtually all goal and reward oriented behavior in organizations, they have not received adequate attention in the organizational sciences. In this Incubator, we encourage scholars to unlock the potential of attribution theory to develop more complete explanations of organizational behavior. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article discusses the prospects and problems of applying theoretical constructs and empirical findings in the area of human attribution and judgmental processes to cognitive behavioral treatment approaches. The widespread existence of biases and judgmental errors among lay people are discussed together with suggestions for the uses of techniques to reduce these biases. Finally, the limitations of attributional retraining and debiasing techniques are highlighted particularly for clients with more severe problems where traditional behavioral and or pharmacological interventions may also be required.

Previous work on constructive competition has focused on competitors' motives and strategies; however, competition is an interactive process that is affected by both the competitor and the rival. Based on the competitive dynamics perspective and attribution theory, this study examines the impact of a perceived rival's motives on the constructiveness of competition. The results of a survey of 521 employees from 25 companies in the banking and insurance industry in Taiwan revealed that the perceptions of rivals' motives significantly affected the constructiveness of competition. By introducing the perspective of rival analysis to individual‐level competition, the present study provides a more comprehensive understanding of constructive competition within organizations.

The purpose of this study was to examine postprogram exercise motivation and adherence in cancer survivors who participated in the Group Psychotherapy and Home-Based Physical Exercise (GROUP-HOPE; Courneya, Friedenreich, Sela, Quinney, & Rhodes, 2002) trial. At the completion of the GROUP-HOPE trial, 46 of 51 (90%) participants in the exercise group completed measures of attribution theory constructs. A 5-week follow-up self-report of exercise was then completed by 30 (65%) participants. Correlational analyses indicated that program exercise, perceived success, expected success, and affective reactions were strong predictors of postprogram exercise. In multivariate stepwise regression analyses, program exercise and perceived success were the strongest predictors of postprogram exercise. Additionally, perceived success was more important than objective success in understanding the attribution process, and it interacted with personal control to influence expected success and negative affect. Finally, postprogram quality of life and changes in physical fitness were correlates of perceived success. We concluded that attribution theory may have utility for understanding postprogram exercise motivation and adherence in cancer survivors.

Group supervision has been widely practiced throughout the history of counselor education. Although professional standards require group supervision for counselors-in-training, few researchers have attempted to provide empirical results describing the process of group supervision, specifically group supervision with group counselors Grounded theory procedures were used to explore the experiences of six group counselors-in-training throughout a 15-week supervision group. Results illuminated a theoretical foundation that highlighted participation anxiety as a condition that affected the interrelated and interactive processes of how and what supervisees learned in group supervision.

Background:Infertility and errors in the process of its treatment have a negative impact on infertile couples. The present study was aimed to identify and assess the common errors in the reception process by applying the approach of “failure modes and effects analysis” (FMEA).Materials and Methods:In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the admission process of fertility and infertility center of Isfahan was selected for evaluation of its errors based on the team members’ decision. At first, the admission process was charted through observations and interviewing employees, holding multiple panels, and using FMEA worksheet, which has been used in many researches all over the world and also in Iran. Its validity was evaluated through content and face validity, and its reliability was evaluated through reviewing and confirmation of the obtained information by the FMEA team, and eventually possible errors, causes, and three indicators of severity of effect, probability of occurrence, and probability of detection were determined and corrective actions were proposed. Data analysis was determined by the number of risk priority (RPN) which is calculated by multiplying the severity of effect, probability of occurrence, and probability of detection.Results:Twenty-five errors with RPN ≥ 125 was detected through the admission process, in which six cases of error had high priority in terms of severity and occurrence probability and were identified as high-risk errors.Conclusions:The team-oriented method of FMEA could be useful for assessment of errors and also to reduce the occurrence probability of errors.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a positive and functional attributional model of leadership, using both leadership perceptions and leadership effectiveness as criteria. Drawing from cognitive complexity theory, and attributional complexity theory, this article identifies attributional accuracy of managers as the fundamental component of the functional model developed here. The model of leadership developed here focuses on such key leadership constructs as leader information processing using complex schemata, leader attributions and their accuracy, leader behaviors that follow their attributions, mediating variables such as subordinate self‐efficacy, satisfaction, and motivation, and outcome variables such as leadership perceptions and subordinate performance. These variables are linked in a process model.Design/methodology/approachThe article depends on a critical review of the literature to build a theoretical model consistent with theory building guidelines.FindingsAccurate attributions and the avoidance of attributional biases are identified as key factors determining effectiveness and leadership perceptions. Leader interactive behaviors, feedback latency, and the development of strategies for improving performance are identified as key consequences of attributional accuracy.Practical implicationsThis article has implications for the ways in which managers are selected and trained to provide leadership in organizations.Orginality/valueThe theory developed here breaks new ground in the investigation of the positive and functional attributional processes of leaders leading to organizational or unit effectiveness. This research contributes to knowledge by pointing to the functional role of accurate attributions and the delineation of the processes through which such attributions can lead to enhancing subordinate motivation and hence leadership effectiveness.

Through the use of posed vignettes in a telephone survey, we investigate the construction of heroes. We examine the extent to which respondents attribute hero status to three potential 9/11 and “war on terrorism” heroes: Todd Beamer, Army Private Jessica Lynch, and President George W. Bush. Findings suggest the importance of the extraordinary nature and the rarity of action(s) performed by heroes in the attribution of hero status; the role of class, status, and party in the attribution process; and the moral consideration of what should be done in each posed vignette. In addition, the study indicates the utility of attribution theory for the sociological examination of heroism and the viability of normative constructs in examining heroic behavior.

The bilateral trade in renewable energy between China and its neighbors represents a global cooperative endeavor influenced by various factors. However, few studies have conducted a comprehensive examination of the behavioral attribution-based reasons behind the bilateral cooperation in renewable energy between China and its neighbors. This study breaks down the aspects of cooperation willingness, cooperation capability and cooperation environment, along with their respective components, based on international behavioral attribution theory. To determine the configurational pathways of each constituent element's role in the bilateral renewable energy trade cooperation between each case country and China, this paper employs a mixed-method approach of Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs-QCA), selecting 20 'country-stage' cases based on data availability. The study finds that for neighboring nations to engage in substantial renewable energy trade with China, extensive use of market-incentive policy instruments is essential. Additionally, favorable bilateral political ties, a lower level of nationalism and increased energy security within surrounding nations are critical factors in fostering extensive renewable energy trade with China. Meanwhile, the economic vulnerability and reliance of different nations on China have varying impacts on their final trade in renewable energy with China. The study identifies five configurational pathways that drive large-scale renewable energy trade cooperation between neighboring countries and China, as well as four configurational pathways that constrain such cooperation.