Investigating the impact of causal attributions on anorexia nervosa stigma

The findings indicate that stigma towards those with AN may result in part from negative attitudes where individuals experiencing AN are viewed as being in control of their condition. Erroneous attribution of dispositional control can influence interpretations of the cause of AN and trigger inappropriate behavioural responses such as stigmatisation, which can have serious consequences for help-seeking in those with AN. Responsibility-based attributions demonstrated less influence on stigma levels.