Does Rumination Mediate the Unique Effects of Shame and Guilt on Procrastination?

Procrastination is common among college students, involving irrational delay of task completion. Theorists understand procrastination to be an avoidance response to negative emotions. Past research suggests that depression and anxiety predict procrastination. However, only limited research has examined the unique effects of shame and guilt-self-conscious emotions-on procrastination, and no studies have examined potential mechanisms. Depressive rumination, the repetitive and maladaptive thinking about a negative event composed of brooding and reflective pondering, is uniquely predicted by shame-but not guilt-and also predicts greater procrastination. Thus, the current cross-sectional survey study examined (1) whether shame and guilt uniquely predict procrastination and (2) whether depressive rumination mediates those effects in a collegiate sample. Results supported a model wherein brooding and reflective pondering mediate the unique relationship between shame and procrastination. A second model suggested that guilt leads to less procrastination directly but greater procrastination indirectly via increased reflective pondering. Theoretical and clinical implications of the current findings are discussed.

The Role of Trait Impulsivity in the Associations between Rumination and Alcohol-Related Outcomes.

Background/Purpose: Emerging adults engage in high rates of alcohol consumption, which contribute to negative alcohol-related consequences and alcohol-related aggression. Rumination, or repetitive thinking about negative experiences, predicts greater negative alcohol-related consequences and alcohol-related aggression. Mechanisms of these associations are not well understood. We examined whether impulsivity mediates the effect of rumination on alcohol-related outcomes. We also tested an alternative model in which impulsivity moderates the effect of rumination on these outcomes. Methods: In a cross-sectional study with 202 undergraduates, we assessed trait rumination, four facets of impulsivity (urgency, premeditation, perseverance, and sensation seeking), recent alcohol use, negative alcohol-related consequences, and alcohol-related aggression. Results: Mediational analyses revealed that rumination indirectly predicted greater negative alcohol-related consequences and alcohol-related aggression via more urgency. Moderational analyses yielded nonsignificant interactions. Conclusion: Although cross-sectional data cannot suggest causality, the pattern of correlations suggests that rumination may lead to more clinically relevant alcohol-related outcomes because it triggers rash responding to negative affect.

The unique associations between self-compassion and eating disorder psychopathology and the mediating role of rumination.

Mindfulness reduces eating disorder (ED) psychopathology. Self-compassion is a related but distinct construct that may predict other clinical outcomes more strongly than does mindfulness. Previous evidence suggests that self-compassion is associated with less ED psychopathology, although no studies have compared the unique effects of self-compassion and mindfulness. Moreover, few studies have explored mechanisms of this association. The current survey study explored the unique association between self-compassion and ED psychopathology, controlling for mindfulness, as well as whether depressive rumination mediates this association. One hundred and ninety undergraduates completed questionnaires assessing self-compassion, mindfulness, depressive rumination, and ED psychopathology at baseline and five months later. In cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, self-compassion predicted ED psychopathology even when controlling for mindfulness. By contrast, mindfulness did not predict ED psychopathology when controlling for self-compassion. Depressive rumination mediated the unique association between self-compassion and ED psychopathology in cross-sectional but not longitudinal analyses. The current findings suggest that self-compassion may be a more proximal predictor of ED psychopathology than is mindfulness. Additional research will need to further explore whether depressive rumination is a mechanism of this effect.

The unique effects of angry and depressive rumination on eating-disorder psychopathology and the mediating role of impulsivity.

Negative affect and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies are associated with eating-disorder (ED) psychopathology. Depressive rumination is a maladaptive cognitive style associated with the onset, maintenance, and severity of ED psychopathology among both clinical and nonclinical samples. However, although anger is also strongly associated with ED behaviors, the associations between angry rumination and ED psychopathology, as well as mechanisms of the relationships between rumination and ED psychopathology, remain largely unknown. The current study sought to examine the unique influences of trait depressive and angry rumination on ED psychopathology and whether trait negative urgency (i.e., responding rashly to negative affect) mediated these relationships. Study 1 sampled undergraduate students (N = 119) cross-sectionally and longitudinally (five months), and Study 2 sampled patients with eating disorders (N = 85). All participants completed questionnaires assessing angry rumination, depressive rumination, ED psychopathology, and negative urgency. Angry rumination had consistent indirect effects on ED psychopathology via negative urgency among both clinical and nonclinical samples. However, there was mixed support for the influence of depressive rumination: whereas depressive rumination showed total and indirect effects on ED psychopathology in Study 1 cross-sectional analyses, no total or indirect effects emerged in Study 1 longitudinal analyses or in Study 2. Associations between depressive rumination and ED psychopathology may reflect the strong overlap between angry and depressive rumination. Interventions targeting angry rumination and negative urgency may enhance prevention and treatment of disordered eating across eating disorder diagnosis and severity.

Rumination mediates the associations between sexual minority stressors and disordered eating, particularly for men.

PURPOSE: Sexual minority individuals experience unique minority stressors leading to negative clinical outcomes, including disordered eating. The psychological mediation framework posits that stress related to discrimination, internalized homonegativity, and concealment makes sexual minority individuals more vulnerable to maladaptive coping processes, such as rumination, known to predict disordered eating. The current study examined the influence of sexual minority stressors and rumination on disordered eating, and whether these associations differed between sexual minority men and women. We hypothesized that perceived discrimination, internalized homonegativity, and concealment would be positively associated with disordered eating, and that rumination about sexual minority stigma would mediate these associations. METHODS: One-hundred and sixteen individuals who identified as sexual minorities completed a survey study assessing perceived discrimination, internalized homonegativity, concealment, rumination about sexual minority stigma, and disordered eating. RESULTS: Discrimination and concealment uniquely predicted disordered eating in both men and women. However, rumination emerged as a significant mediator for concealment and (marginally) for discrimination for men only. Internalized homonegativity was not uniquely associated with rumination or disordered eating for men or women. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual minority men who experience discrimination and conceal their sexual orientation may engage in more disordered eating because they dwell on sexual minority stigma. We propose other potential mechanisms that may be relevant for sexual minority women.

Resilience during war: Better unit cohesion and reductions in avoidant coping are associated with better mental health function after combat deployment.

OBJECTIVE: The majority of individuals who endure traumatic events are resilient; however, we do not yet understand why some individuals are more resilient than others. We used data from a prospective longitudinal study Army National Guard and Reserve personnel to examine how unit cohesion (military-specific social support) and avoidant coping relate to resilience over the first year after return from deployment. METHOD: Soldiers (N = 767) were assessed at 4 phases: predeployment (P1), immediately postdeployment (P2), 3 months' postdeployment (P3), and 1-year postdeployment (P4). RESULTS: After controlling for predeployment avoidant coping and overall social support, higher unit cohesion was associated with a reduction in avoidant coping (from P1 to P3). This reduction in avoidant coping (from P1 to P3) mediated the relationship between unit cohesion (P2) and improvement in mental health function (from P1 to P3). CONCLUSIONS: The results are consistent with the hypothesis that higher unit cohesion may mitigate increases in avoidant coping in military personnel after a combat deployment and in turn may improve mental health function. (PsycINFO Database Record

The bidirectional associations between state anger and rumination and the role of trait mindfulness.

Rumination is associated with exacerbated angry mood. Angry moods may also trigger rumination. However, research has not empirically tested the bidirectional associations of state rumination and anger, as experience sampling methodology can do. We predicted that state anger and rumination would be bi-directionally associated, both concurrently and over time, even controlling for trait anger and rumination. In addition, because mindfulness is associated with rumination and anger at the bivariate level, we examined the effect of trait mindfulness on the bidirectional association between state rumination and anger. We examined two hypotheses: (i) state rumination mediates the effect of trait mindfulness on state anger; and (ii) trait mindfulness weakens, or moderates, the bidirectional associations between state rumination and anger. In an experience-sampling study, 200 college students reported their current ruminative thinking and angry mood several times a day for 7 days. Mixed model analyses indicated that state anger and rumination predicted each other concurrently. In cross-lagged analyses, previous anger did not uniquely predict current rumination; previous rumination predicted current anger, although the effect was small. In support of our hypothesis, state rumination mediated the association between trait mindfulness and state anger. Additionally, trait mindfulness moderated the concurrent and cross-lagged associations between state rumination and anger, although the results were complex. This study contributes new information about the complex interplay of rumination and anger. Findings also add support to the theory that mindfulness decreases emotional reactivity. Aggr. Behav. 43:342-351, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Does hostile rumination mediate the associations between reported child abuse, parenting characteristics and borderline features in adulthood?

This cross-sectional study investigated whether hostile rumination mediated the association between several indicators of a negative childhood environment (retrospectively reported child abuse and perceived parental care and overprotection) and borderline features. Community participants (N = 524) completed self-report measures in the laboratory. Results showed that adults exhibiting borderline features reported less parental care and more parental overprotection, as well as greater abuse. Additionally, hostile rumination statistically mediated the associations between all childhood environmental variables and borderline features, even controlling for depressive symptoms, alcohol use and impulsivity. Although cross-sectional data cannot test causal mediation, this pattern of results provides preliminary evidence that hostile rumination may partially account for the well-established connection between negative environments and borderline features. Future directions, including a discussion of longitudinal and experimental work that might help build on and strengthen the current findings, are explored.

Sleep problems may mediate associations between rumination and PTSD and depressive symptoms among OIF/OEF veterans.

Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans have high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and sleep problems. Identifying potential contributing factors to these mental health problems is crucial for improving treatments in this population. Rumination, or repeated thoughts about negative experiences, is associated with worse PTSD, depression, and sleep problems in nonveterans. Therefore, we hypothesized that rumination would be associated with worse sleep problems, PTSD, and depressive symptoms in OIF/OEF veterans. Additionally, we proposed a novel hypothesis that sleep problems are a mechanism by which rumination contributes to depressive and PTSD symptoms. In this cross-sectional study, 89 OIF/OEF veterans completed measures of trait rumination, sleep problems, and PTSD and depressive symptoms. Analyses confirmed that greater rumination was associated with worse functioning on all mental health measures. Moreover, greater global sleep problems statistically mediated the association between higher rumination and more PTSD and depressive symptoms. Specifically, sleep disturbance and daytime somnolence but not sleep quantity emerged as significant mediators. Although it is impossible with the current nonexperimental data to test causal mediation, these results support the idea that rumination could contribute to impaired sleep, which in turn could contribute to psychological symptoms. We suggest that interventions targeting both rumination and sleep problems may be an effective way to treat OIF/OEF veterans with PTSD or depressive symptoms.

The reinforcing efficacy of alcohol mediates associations between impulsivity and negative drinking outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: One predictor of negative drinking outcomes in college populations is impulsivity. Individual differences in the reinforcing efficacy of alcohol, which reflects willingness to drink despite potential costs, may serve as a mechanism by which impulsivity is associated with alcohol-related problems. The purpose of this study was to determine whether two measures of the reinforcing efficacy of alcohol-demand intensity (consumption when drinks are free) and Omax (maximum expenditure on alcohol)-statistically mediated the associations between four facets of impulsivity and negative drinking outcomes. METHOD: We gave 202 undergraduate social drinkers a hypothetical task in which they indicated how many drinks they would consume across a range of prices. They also completed measures of impulsivity, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. RESULTS: Path models revealed that two facets of impulsivity-sensation seeking and urgency-were associated with higher reinforcing efficacy and worse alcohol problems. Moreover, the associations between both of these impulsivity facets and alcohol-related problems were sequentially mediated by reinforcing efficacy and alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who respond impulsively to negative emotions or have sensation-seeking tendencies may exhibit greater willingness to consume and purchase alcohol. As a result, they may in fact drink more, leading to worse drinking-related problems. These findings suggest a need for more research into the mechanisms of interventions that successfully reduce problem drinking. They also indicate that more study is needed on whether decreasing the availability of low-cost alcohol reduces alcohol-related problems in impulsive individuals.

Rumination moderates the associations between PTSD and depressive symptoms and risky behaviors in U. S. veterans.

Risky behaviors, including unsafe sex, aggression, rule breaking, self-injury, and dangerous substance use have become a growing issue for U.S. veterans returning from combat deployments. Evidence in nonveteran samples suggests that risky behaviors reflect efforts to cope with and alleviate depressive and/or anxious symptoms, particularly for individuals with poor emotion-regulation skills. These associations have not been studied in veterans. Rumination, or repeated thoughts about negative feelings and past events, is a coping strategy that is associated with several psychopathologies common in veterans. In this cross-sectional study, 91 recently returned veterans completed measures of trait rumination, self-reported risky behaviors, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Analyses revealed that veterans with more depressive and PTSD symptoms reported more risky behaviors. Moreover, rumination significantly interacted with PTSD symptoms and depressive symptoms (both ß = .21, p < .05), such that psychiatric symptoms were associated with risky behaviors only for veterans with moderate to high levels of rumination. Although cross-sectional, these findings support theory that individuals with poor coping skills may be particularly likely to respond to negative mood states by engaging in risky behaviors. Implications include using rumination-focused interventions with veterans in order to prevent engagement in risky behaviors.

Memory predicts changes in depressive symptoms in older adults: a bidirectional longitudinal analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Although research indicates that depressive symptoms and memory performance are related in older adults, the temporal associations between these variables remain unclear. This study examined whether depressive symptoms predicted later memory change and whether memory predicted later change in depressive symptoms. METHODS: The sample consisted of more than 14,000 adults from the Health and Retirement Study, a biannual longitudinal study of health and retirement in Americans older than age 50 years. Measures of delayed recall and depressive symptoms served as the main study variables. We included age, sex, education, and history of vascular diseases as covariates. RESULTS: Using dynamic change models with latent difference scores, we found that memory performance predicted change in depressive symptoms 2 years later. Depressive symptoms did not predict later change in memory. The inclusion of vascular health variables diminished the size of the observed relationship, suggesting that biological processes may partially explain the effect of memory on depressive symptoms. IMPLICATIONS: Future research should explore both biological and psychological processes that may explain the association between worse memory performance and subsequent increases in depressive symptoms.

Trait and state hostile rumination facilitate alcohol-related aggression.

OBJECTIVE: This investigation attempted to determine whether trait and state hostile rumination functioned as risk factors for the relation between acute alcohol intoxication and aggression. METHOD: Participants were 516 social drinkers (252 men and 264 women). Trait hostile rumination was assessed using Caprara's Dissipation-Rumination Scale. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a laboratory task in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent under the guise of a competitive reaction-time task. Aggression was operationalized as the combined mean responses for shock intensity and duration across all trials. In a subset of the sample (n = 320), state hostile rumination was assessed following the aggression task using a self-report measure. RESULTS: As expected, both trait and state measures acted as moderators. Specifically, acute alcohol intoxication was more likely to increase aggression in persons with higher trait and state hostile rumination scores compared with their equally intoxicated lower rumination counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first investigation to demonstrate that trait or state rumination significantly heighten the risk of intoxicated aggression. We believe that hostile rumination facilitates intoxicated aggression because ruminators have difficulty diverting their attention away from anger-provoking stimuli and related thoughts, thus making violent reactions more likely. Clinical and public health interventions would benefit by developing strategies to distract ruminative attention away from violence-promoting messages, especially when persons are under the influence of alcohol.

Rumination partially mediates the associations between perceived ethnic discrimination, emotional distress, and aggression.

Research suggests that perceived ethnic discrimination is associated with poor psychological and physiological health. Rumination, or perseverative thoughts about negative experiences, may constitute a maladaptive coping strategy that mediates the associations between perceived discrimination, emotional distress, and aggression. Our sample consisted of 170 ethnic minority and 134 White American participants. For ethnic minority participants, we found a pattern of correlations consistent with rumination partially mediating a causal link between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms, hostility, anger, and aggression. In White participants, by contrast, the significant associations between perceived discrimination and these indices of emotional and behavioral distress were not statistically mediated by rumination. We discuss possible theoretical and clinical implications of these results.

Could mindfulness decrease anger, hostility, and aggression by decreasing rumination?

Research suggests that rumination increases anger and aggression. Mindfulness, or present-focused and intentional awareness, may counteract rumination. Using structural equation modeling, we examined the relations between mindfulness, rumination, and aggression. In a pair of studies, we found a pattern of correlations consistent with rumination partially mediating a causal link between mindfulness and hostility, anger, and verbal aggression. The pattern was not consistent with rumination mediating the association between mindfulness and physical aggression. Although it is impossible with the current nonexperimental data to test causal mediation, these correlations support the idea that mindfulness could reduce rumination, which in turn could reduce aggression. These results suggest that longitudinal work and experimental manipulations mindfulness would be worthwhile approaches for further study of rumination and aggression. We discuss possible implications of these results.

Alcohol-aggression expectancies and dispositional rumination moderate the effect of alcohol consumption on alcohol-related aggression and hostility.

Alcohol consumption increases aggression, but only in some drinkers. This study extends previous work to show how expectancies for alcohol-induced aggression and dispositional rumination moderate the link between alcohol consumption and alcohol-related aggression and hostility in a sample of 285 men and women. Alcohol-aggression expectancies and quantity of alcohol interacted to predict alcohol-related hostility and aggression. Trait rumination moderated the effect of alcohol consumption on aggressive acts. Finally, women who ruminated were more likely to report alcohol-related aggression than were men who ruminated. These results suggest that alcohol expectancies for aggression and rumination constitute two important cognitive facilitators of alcohol-related aggression and hostility, and that gender plays an important role in these relations.

Predicting problem behaviors with multiple expectancies: expanding expectancy-value theory.

Expectancy-value theory emphasizes the importance of outcome expectancies for behavioral decisions, but most tests of the theory focus on a single behavior and a single expectancy. However, the matching law suggests that individuals consider expected outcomes for both the target behavior and alternative behaviors when making decisions. In this study, we expanded expectancy-value theory to evaluate the contributions of two competing expectancies to adolescent behavior problems. One hundred twenty-one high school students completed measures of behavior problems, expectancies for both acting out and academic effort, and perceived academic competence. Students' self-reported behavior problems covaried mostly with perceived competence and academic expectancies and only nominally with problem behavior expectancies. We suggest that behavior problems may result from students perceiving a lack of valued or feasible alternative behaviors, such as studying. We discuss implications for interventions and suggest that future research continue to investigate the contribution of alternative expectancies to behavioral decisions.