Attribution Theory and Apology Discourse in the Context of Medical Errors

1 online resource (45 pages) : PDF

2020

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Communication scholars have investigated medical error and apology discourse over the last 20 years. However, despite the previous research on this topic, little is known about what factors (i.e., controllability, emotional response, and error severity) motivate a patient’s desire for an apology after a medical error has occurred. A series of quantitative analyses were conducted, and attribution theory was employed to uncover a unique perspective on this topic. In general, survey data from 429 participants revealed that controllability and emotional response were related to a patient’s desire for an apology, whereas the severity of the error was not. The results of this study not only advocate for more research on this topic but also have several implications for attribution theory, for researchers and healthcare practitioners.

masters theses

Communication
Psychology
Health education

M.A.

Apology
Attribution
Health Communication
Medical Error

Communication Studies

Quinlan, Margaret

Basinger, Erin
Davis, Christine

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2020.

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For additional information, see http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/.

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Hartsell_uncc_0694N_12478

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:1947