Attributions and Depression Across Cultures

Abstract

There is evidence that culture and depression can both affect the pattern of explanations that people give for events. To date, research on attributions has considered only culture or depression with respect to attributions, and no studies have investigated the cumulative effects of these factors. This study explores the differences in attributions introduced by both culture and depression. The samples used in this study (Nepal and the United States) are compared using several measures of depression and a measure of attributional style. Results support the hypothesis that there are differences in attributions based on both culture and depression and that depression may have a differential affect on attributions depending on an individual’s cultural background.