The Causal Dimension Scale: A measure of how individuals perceive causes.

Dan RussellCollege of Medicine, University of IowaA shortcoming of previous attribution research has been the assumption thatresearchers can accurately translate causal attributions into causal dimensions.Attributional statements are often ambiguous and even when clearly stated maybe perceived quite differently by the attributor and the researcher. The studiesreported describe the development of the Causal Dimension Scale, a measuredesigned to assess how the attributor perceives the causes he or she has statedfor an event. This scale assesses causal perceptions in terms of the locus ofcausality, stability, and controllability dimensions described by Weiner. Twostudies are reported that test the reliability and validity of the Causal DimensionScale. All three subscales were found to be reliable and valid, and a three-modefactor analysis confirmed the three-dimensional structure of the scale. Resultsalso indicated differences in the perception of causes of success and failure, withattributions for success being perceived as more internal, stable, and controllablethan attributions for failure. The relationship between the Causal DimensionScale and other attribution measures (such as locus of control or attributionalstyle measures) is discussed.