Attribution theory has a rich history of empirical and applied work over more than 50 years. This article draws on literature from social, cognitive, developmental, and clinical psychology to examine attribution theory and its applications to psychotherapy. Work in attribution retraining within cognitive-behavioral therapy, school-based interventions, and couples and family therapy is reviewed. Additionally, the implicit use of attribution retraining within other types of therapy is discussed. Finally, future directions for attribution retraining research and practice within various psychotherapeutic modalities are presented.
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