Concrete vs. Abstract Processing in Repetitive Negative Thinking: Distinct Functional Effects on Emotional Reactivity and Attentional Control

Thought habits and processing modes among Japanese university students do not influence dynamic associations between rumination and negative affect

The integrated model of rumination argues that two trait factors-negative thinking habits and processing modes-get people stuck in maladaptive rumination. There is little evidence showing whether these factors influence the daily dynamic associations between rumination and negative moods. To address this, in this study, we conducted an experience-sampling method on Japanese university students. We recruited 92 Japanese university students and assessed their daily rumination and negative affect (NA) eight times a day for seven days. We examined the effects of habits and processing modes on the dynamic associations between rumination and negative moods using dynamic structural equation modeling. We found that individuals were more likely to ruminate when they experienced NA. However, contrary to previous findings, this study's participants did not experience NA after engaging in rumination. Moreover, we did not detect any significant trait factor effect on these dynamic associations. Our findings imply that individuals are more likely to engage in rumination after experiencing NA, but the reverse association, particularly the autoregression of rumination, may not be maintained in natural daily life. Furthermore, negative thinking habits and processing modes may not influence the daily dynamic associations between rumination and NA among Japanese university students.

The impact of rumination on fibromyalgia pain after physical activity: an experimental study

Some fibromyalgia (FM) patients engage in rumination (i.e. a chain of repetitive, passive and relatively uncontrollable thoughts focused on negative content) to cope with the pain and discomfort of daily activities. The partial model of rumination in chronic pain suggests that rumination processes may play a causal role in maintaining pain. Rumination might also be one of the key factors interfering with the reestablishment of adapted physical activity. The objective of this study was to test how rumination vs. distraction induction influence FM patients' pain intensity, discomfort linked to pain, and affect after physical activity. Forty-seven participants with a diagnosis of FM were randomly assigned to undergo distraction induction vs. rumination induction after performing a physical activity in ecological setting. Their pain intensity, pain-related discomfort, and affect were measured at the baseline, after physical activity, and after rumination versus distraction induction. A series of mixed-design ANOVAs showed that rumination induction after physical activity impairs patients' recovery in terms of pain intensity and discomfort, but not affect, as compared to the distraction condition. In conclusion, participants with fibromyalgia who engage in rumination following a physical activity recover less from their pain experience as compared to distraction induction. These results are consistent with the partial model of rumination in chronic pain and support the idea that rumination may play a causal role in the development and maintenance of pain.

Experimental induction of state rumination: A study evaluating the efficacy of goal-cueing task in different experimental settings

Based on previous studies, the present four experiments (total N = 468) aimed at investigating the effectivity of rumination induction in different experimental settings. We were particularly interested in rumination in the context of individual goal achievement and tested whether an instruction that referred to unresolved goals had a direct observable effect on state rumination. For this purpose, participants were asked to identify, evaluate, and focus on a personally relevant goal that was previously unresolved and still bothered them. In Experiment 1a to 1c, we compared three different modifications of the unresolved condition with shortened instructions with the elaborated unresolved condition and an additional control condition that did not refer to goals. In general, the results were mixed, but basically confirmed the effectiveness of the method used. Finally, in Experiment 2, we compared the two most promising versions of the unresolved condition and, by adding a goal-related control condition, we examined which control condition was best suited to maximize effects related to state rumination in future research. Results of various mixed ANOVAs demonstrated that a shortened version (in terms of shortened audio instructions) of the unresolved condition could be used as well as the original unresolved condition to induce reliable state rumination. The significance of the effects obtained with this method for real-life applications as well as approaches for future research are discussed.

Impact of abstract vs. concrete processing on state rumination: An exploration of the role of cognitive flexibility

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Abstract and concrete modes of rumination may be associated with different mental health outcomes; whereby concrete rumination strategies increase the individual's tendency to seek solutions to problems and thus leading to significant improvements in the mood state as well as reductions in the intensity of ruminative thoughts. However, related studies also are suggestive of other variables that are potentially effective in the outcome of abstract and concrete processing. The current study aimed to examine how abstract and concrete processing are associated with state rumination and explore the role of cognitive flexibility in this relationship.

METHOD

A total of 111 (78 female) participants were assessed for state rumination prior and post induction of abstract versus concrete processing.

RESULTS

Although all participants reported higher levels of state rumination following both processing inductions, participants that were instructed to engage in abstract processing reported higher levels of state rumination as opposed to concrete processing group. Moreover, participants with lower levels of cognitive flexibility reported significant increases in state rumination following the manipulation, independent of type of processing induction.

LIMITATIONS

The impact of the manipulation was assessed only via the BSRI and lacks physiological assessment of arousal levels of participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical implications that involve concrete processing and CF ability trainings may be beneficial for the management of state rumination.

Rumination, mood, and maladaptive eating behaviors in overweight and healthy populations

PURPOSE

The literature suggests that rumination (i.e., repetitive thinking about 1 or more negative concerns that is perceived as difficult to control) is linked to impaired emotional regulation and increases negative affect. Not only individuals suffering from overweight or obesity, but also healthy individuals might use emotional eating as a coping strategy to deal with negative affect caused by rumination. The aim of the present study was to determine the link between rumination and maladaptive eating strategies in participants with normal weight and overweight/obesity using trait and ecological momentary measures.

METHOD

In Study 1, 88 individuals from overweight/obese (N = 33) and control group (N = 50) filled in a series of questionnaires assessing trait rumination, and eating behaviors. In Study 2 momentary affect, rumination and eating behavior of 26 participants were assessed using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology.

RESULTS

In Study 1, the moderated mediation model revealed that emotional eating mediates the link between rumination and uncontrolled eating or snacking, but only in healthy participants and not in the participants with overweight. The results of Study 2 suggest that when both momentary rumination and sad mood are entered into the model predicting momentary daily emotional eating, only rumination remains a significant predictor of emotional eating. This relationship is not modified by the fact that the participants are from healthy controls or the overweight/obese group.

DISCUSSION

Study 1 provided evidence on the differential role of emotional eating in participants with normal weight and with overweight. Study 2 provided initial insights into the role of momentary mood and momentary repetitive thinking in the use of emotional eating in participants' everyday lives. The differences in group effect in trait and EMA measures indicated also the importance of considering the consciousness of using rumination and emotional eating, while studying those processes in individuals with overweight.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, case-control analytic study.