Abstract
Female Ss made ratings of wives encountering problems resulting from pregnancy or children. Specifically studied were the interpersonal reactions of raters to women facing psychological, vocational, and financial problems. The three types of problems were presented to Ss as having been caused by the husband, the wife herself, or the cause was left ambiguous. The reactions selected for study were (1) responsibility attribution, (2) understanding, (3) worthiness of help, and (4) interpersonal attraction. Such reactions varied depending upon the source and type of problem. Particularly, wives experiencing psychological problems were regarded as less responsible for them, were rated as being more understood, and were more interpersonally attractive.
