Attributions, beliefs about control, and adjustment to breast cancer

Examined attributions for cancer and beliefs about control over cancer for their association with adjustment to breast cancer. 78 29-78 yr old females with breast cancer served as Ss. Ss were administered a battery of tests that included the Profile of Mood States, Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Although 95% of the Ss made attributions for their cancer, no particular attribution (e.g., stress, diet) was associated with better adjustment. Analyses of attributions of responsibility for the cancer to the self, environment, another person, or chance yielded only a negative relation between adjustment and blaming another person. In contrast, both the belief that one could now control one's cancer and the belief that others (e.g., the physician) could now control the cancer were significantly associated with good adjustment. Of the different types of control, cognitive control was most strongly associated with adjustment, behavior control was less strongly associated with adjustment, and information control and retrospective control were unassociated with adjustment. (56 ref)