Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of attribution retraining in modifying the maladaptive attributional style into adaptive style of medical students.
Methodology: This quasi-experimental study included 1st and 2nd year medical students selected through stratified sampling technique from a Private medical college, Islamabad. The study was conducted from June to December 2021. Total of 196 medical students were screened through internationally validated Attribution Style Questionnaire and 28 were included in the study, based on their maladaptive attributional style. Data were analyzed through SPSS 22. Chi-square was applied on categorical variables and for numerical data paired t-test was used to compare mean differences in attributional style before and after the intervention.
Results: Out of 196 students, 100 were from first year and 96 from second year MBBS. Out of these, 118 (60%) were females and 78 (40%) males. The overall success rate of attribution retraining was 82%, which means 23 out of 28 (82%) students improved their attributional style from maladaptive (pessimistic) to adaptive (optimistic) (p=0.001).
Conclusion: We demonstrated the effectiveness of an attributional retraining program in manipulating the attributions of students from maladaptive to adaptive ones amongst medical students.

Key words: Attributional retraining, attribution theory, maladaptive attributional style, medical students, cognitive concepts.