Arab-Israeli Mothers’ Attribution, Affective, and Behavioral Responses Toward Their Child With a Learning Disability: Examining an Attribution Model of Reactions to Stigma

Abstract

Studies show that people with a learning disability (LD) are stigmatized. The study adopts the major tenets of the “Attribution Model of Reactions to Stigmas” (AMRS), which postulates that causal attributions to disability (“stigmas”) are associated with affective responses that lead to behavioral outcomes. Adopting a multidimensional approach to attributions, we examined the applicability of the AMRS among Arab-Israeli mothers. A convenience sample of 122 mothers of elementary school children, who were diagnosed with LD, completed self-reported, closed-ended questionnaires. The AMRS was only partially supported by our findings. However, we found that four of the five types of reported causal attributions were significantly and negatively associated with maternal rejection. We also found high levels of maternal rejection, in addition to high levels of positive affective reactions. Attributing the child’s LD to a medical condition at the time of the mother’s pregnancy or the child’s birth was associated with lower positive affect.