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Thesis
An empirical investigation of depressive rumination: implications for cognitive flexibility, problem solving and depression
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jul 2010
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-3332
Abstract
Depressive rumination, or thinking about the causes and implications of one's depression, is a maladaptive form of repetitive thinking. According to cognitive theories of depression, rumination exacerbates depression because it increases the accessibility of negative schemas, disrupts the individual's social support networks, and inhibits instrumental skills behaviors and qualities of cognition, such as problem-solving and cognitive flexibility, respectively. Although research has supported a relationship between rumination and problem solving, rumination and cognitive flexibility, and cognitive flexibility and problem solving, no study has examined all three in the context of a single analysis. The current study sought (1) to examine if cognitive inflexibility mediates the relationship between rumination and poor problem solving, and (2) to determine if mindfulness (i.e., present moment awareness and nonjudgmental acceptance) and psychological distancing (i.e., defusion or decentering) might buffer ruminators' tendencies toward cognitive inflexibility (operationalized as performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Participants were 97 undergraduate students from a large, metropolitan university. Results failed to find support for preliminary hypotheses. Results suggest that rumination exerts a negative impact on problem solving for individuals with average to low levels of depression, but that rumination may have a beneficial impact on task performance for individuals with higher levels of depression. Consistent with the analytical rumination hypothesis, focusing on one's depressive symptoms, in a structured clinical context (and preventing degradation into pathological, repetitive though), may encourage problem-focused coping for those with moderate depression. Post hoc analyses suggest that psychological distancing strategies attenuate the relationship between rumination and depression. These findings suggest that psychological distancing strategies may be beneficial for ruminators because of their protective role in decreasing depressive symptoms.
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Details
- Title
- An empirical investigation of depressive rumination
- Creators
- Elizabeth M. Goetter - DU
- Contributors
- Evan M. Forman (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 3332; 991014632702904721