THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-EFFICACY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIANTS OF SELF-BLAME AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS

<p>Sexual assault has consistently been found to be associated with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology. Research shows that self-blaming attributions are directly linked to distress (Walsh, & Foshee, 1998; Walsh & Bruce, 2011). More specifically, the type of self-blame (i.e., behavioral and characterological) an individual associates with their experienced sexual assault, may influence their perceptions of avoidability of future assault and post-assault recovery. However, the role of self-efficacy in the relationship between behavioral and characterological self-blame in PTSD sexual assault survivors has been unexamined. The purpose of the proposed study is to assess the influence of self-efficacy in the association between variants of self-blame and post-assault distress. The proposed study considers the critical relationship between self-efficacy and self-blame, and aims to evaluate how these factors can ultimately influence posttraumatic adjustment in sexual assault survivors. Results revealed positive associations between behavioral self-blame and depression (r<em> = .28, p</em> < .05). Positive associations were also found between characterological self-blame, PTSD (<em>r </em>=. 42, <em>p < .</em>001) and depression (<em>r</em> =. 50, <em>p</em> p < .001) and self-efficacy was positively related to PTSD and depression symptom severity (<em>r </em>= -.27, <em>p</em> < .05; <em>r</em> = -.54, <em>p</em> < .001). Mediation was found between characterological self-blame, self-efficacy and depression, b = .11; CI: .04 - .21. Findings for this study can help with implication for postassault interventions by creating opportunities for therapist to custom-tailor patient treatments to match the self-blame they most associate with. This may lead to treatments that are more effective.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts in General Experimental Psychology

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2017

Author dc:creator

• Barrera, Andrea

Contributors dc:contributor

• Christina Hassija

• Self-efficacy
• PTSD
• Self-Blame
• Characterological Self-Blame
• Behavioral Self-Blame
• Depression
• Psychology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/447

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu:etd-1500