A multimethod assessment to study the relationship between rumination and gender differences

Abstract

Rumination is described as the propensity of responding to distress by repetitively and passively focusing on one's negative emotions, and failures, and their consequences (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991, 1998). Therefore, given that rumination is characterized especially by difficulties in managing and controlling negative emotional states, it is considered as the most common (impaired) emotional regulation strategy, and can be defined as an emotional process related to a repetitive, undesired, and past-oriented negatively inclined thought (Compare, Zarbo, Shonin, Van Gordon, & Marconi, 2014; Smith & Alloy, 2009). Recent evidence suggested that because of problems related to monitoring of negative states, rumination may be associated with exaggerated physiological reactivity relative to demands from the environment, and to some difficulties in attentional control abilities. The current study aimed at deepening our understanding of the role that a maladaptive emotional regulation strategysuch as ruminationmight play in physiological response changes and in engaging dysfunctional attentional strategies. We used a multimethod assessment including self-reports (i.e., Rumination and Reflection Questionnaire, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale), physiological measures, (i.e., Heart Rate Variability recording), and attention tasks (i.e., Stroop Task) in order to examine the multiple aspects of rumination across genders. Sixty-eight individuals (30 males and 38 females) were administered DERS À16, RRQ and, soon after them, the Stroop task. Immediately after completing the Stroop task (T1), participants were exposed to a three-phase, baseline-stress-recovery experimental paradigm while their heart rate variability (HRV) was recorded. After completing the experimental paradigm, Stroop stimuli were presented for the second time (T2), in order to examine possible intra-individual differences between the two performances in the Stroop task. Our findings showed that rumination was higher in females than in males, but in men it appeared to be strongly associated with an overall impaired emotional regulation. However, no gender differences in rumination and emotion dysregulation were found when inspecting physiological data. The current study aims to contribute towards a better understanding which emotion regulation strategies and which physiological mechanisms are associated with rumination.

Perception of Vulnerability and Ruminant Thoughts about COVID-19 in Spanish Students

“…Rumination levels about COVID-19 were higher in women. These results are consistent with other research that analyzes the relationship between rumination and gender differences [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Similarly, women presented a greater perception of vulnerability to the disease than men.…”

“…Researchhasshown that there are gender differences in the levels of ruminant thoughts, being higher in women than in men [ 13 ], and that these repetitive negative thoughts are related to depression and anxiety during adolescence [ 14 ]. In addition, an investigation [ 15 ] documented that more women use rumination as a strategy of emotional regulation in learning.…”

Longitudinal effect of self‐control on reactive–proactive aggression: Mediating roles of hostile rumination and moral disengagement

“…Second, self‐control involves inhibitory ability, so self‐control could suppress hostility‐related thoughts (Denson, 2009). Finally, as mentioned above, self‐control can decrease emotional dysregulation such as hostile rumination (Ando et al, 2020).…”

Mental health service utilization following a campus mass shooting: The role of preshooting emotion dysregulation and posttraumatic cognitions.

“…Another possibility for this interaction could be the tendency for women to engage in rumination (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2012); a repetitive thinking style considered key in maintaining depression (Kennair et al, 2017). Although not explicitly assessed in this study, our measure of preshooting emotion dysregulation may have still captured ruminative tendencies (e.g., Ando et al, 2020). This would explain the observed interaction because depressive rumination entails abstract thoughts about a depressed mood’s meaning, causes, and consequences that stymy problem-solving behaviors (e.g., MHU; Kennair et al, 2017).…”