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They Recruited A Sample Of Undergraduates (including A High Proportion Of ...

They recruited a sample of undergraduates (including a high proportion of medics) and assessed their attitudes and familiarity with CFS.They found that when the condition was referred to by different names (for example myalgic encephalopathy or Florence Nightingale disease) were associated with differences regarding attribution of the cause of the condition, the severity, contagion, prognosis and treatment. Participants prompted with the name myalgic encephalopathy were significantly more likely to assign the condition a biological cause and were significantly less likely to believe that the patient would be a suitable organ donator. In contrast, those who were prompted with the name CFS, were more likely to attribute the illness to psychiatric factors. Studies such as these indicate that there my be bias in the attributions of illnesses according to the labels ascribed.
Causal attributions are also known to be influenced by locus of control (LOC). LOC, a concept which was first introduced by Rotter (1966) and which refers to the generalised beliefs individuals hold about the causes of events that occur in their lives. These beliefs are classified as ‘external' or ‘internal'. External beliefs focus on causes which can be attributed to the environment, heredity and other circumstances outside of personal control. In this respect they are likely to be beneficial as they avoid self-blame.In contrast, internal beliefs are those in which the individual feels personally in control. For example, a patient who has suffered a heart attack may believe they are personally responsible due to a lack of exercise, smoking and unhealthy eating, which may lead to feelings of self-blame, guilt and depression. The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (Wallston, Wallston and De Villis, 1978) has since been developed to assess three aspects of LOC in relation to health specifically. These aspects are ‘Internal-External', the ‘Influence of Powerful Others' and ‘Chance'.
Evidence suggests that those who attribute the causes of their symptoms of illness to external causes are less handicapped than their internal counterparts.For example, White, Lehman, Hemphill, Mandel and Lehman (2006) examined causal attributions in individuals suffering chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).CFS is of particular interest in this respect because it is of unknown etiology which makes it hard to make attributions regarding cause. White et al found that a majority of 84% of respondents (n = 105) believed that their illness was in part caused by external causes, such as a virus.In contrast only 47% believed that their illness was in part the result of internal/psychological causes. White et al (2006) also found that a more internal LOC was significantly positively associated with poorer psychological adjustment. Thus they concluded that perceived control moderates the relationship between causal attributions and depression.

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