THE ROLE OF PERCEIVED CONTROL, ATTRIBUTIONS, AND MEANING IN MEMBERS OF INFERTILE COUPLES WELL-BEING

The effects of perceptions of control, attributions, and meaning on well-being were examined in a study of members of infertile couples. interviews were completed with wives and husbands from 113 childless, infertile couples on two occasions, one year apart. As hypothesized, perceptions of general control and meaning were positively related to life quality and chance attributions were negatively related to life quality. Contrary to prediction, self-attributions were unrelated to life quality and attributions to physicians were negatively related to life quality for women. The need for further theory development with hypotheses systematically tailored to the dimensions of specific negative experiences is discussed.