Diagnostic attributions versus labeling: Impact of Alzheimer's disease andmajor depression diagnoses on emotions, beliefs, and helping intentions offamily members

Labeling theory suggests that applying disease labels to behavior may serve to medicalize deviance and produce stigma. In contrast, attribution theory suggests that this practice may evoke sympathetic responses. Female underg raduates (N = 221) read vignettes describing an older parent exhibiting ina ppropriate behavior in a social situation, sith diagnostic label (Alzheimer 's disease, major depression, no label), personal congruence of the behavio r (congruent, incongruent, no information), and parent gender manipulated a cross participants. Participants rated their emotional responses, attributi ons, and willingness to help. The Alzheimer's disease label, and to a lesse r extent the major depression label, produced more sympathy toward the pare nt, less blame, and greater willingness to help, indicating that the provis ion of these labels may facilitate compassionate attitudes and enhanced car egiving toward older adults. However, participants reported greater anger a nd higher personality attributions toward fathers than mothers, suggesting that the influence of parent Fender on potential caregivers' reactions warr ants further attention.