Measuring parental attributions: Conceptual and methodological issues

A selective review is offered of current issues and new developments in the measurement of parental attributions for social behavior. Attributions hav e alternatively been conceptualized as involving (a) memory-dependent knowl edge structures (i.e., interpretive styles that are dependent on the parent 's history) or (b) stimulus-dependent appraisal processes (i.e.; interpreta tions that are dependent on information available in the immediate context) . Consideration is given to the theoretical underpinnings of different type s of attributional measures and the implicit models within attribution rese arch (e.g., attributions as mediators, attributions as moderators). Finally , psychometric issues within different attributional approaches are discuss ed, including consideration of the factors that optimize or constrain the u tility of different measures.