Perseverative Cognition, Psychopathology, and Somatic Health

Relationships between two dimensions of employee perfectionism, postwork cognitive processing, and work day functioning

“…We focus on the cognitive mechanisms of employee perfectionism for two main reasons. First, as discussed in the next section, theories of cognitive processing identify perfectionism as a key vulnerability factor for perseverative worry and rumination (e.g., Berenbaum, 2010;Verkuil et al, 2011). Second, our focus on perfectionism extends recent work on the role of employees' own performance expectations as a personal demand that appears distinct from more "external" work demands (e.g., Bakker & Demerouti, 2016;Barbier, Hansez, Chmiel, & Demerouti, 2013;Lorente Prieto et al, 2008).…”

“…As illustrated in Figure 1, we then posit that worry/rumination about work during the evening will have a detrimental impact on employees' work day functioning. This mode of cognitive processing tends to prolong stress-related psychophysiological activation, affects sleep, and hence inhibits recovery (Geurts & Sonnentag, 2006;McEwen, 1998;Verkuil et al, 2011). Accordingly, we anticipate that a heightened tendency to worry and ruminate about work will mediate relationships between perfectionistic concerns and three common indicators of daily functioning: sleep quality, emotional exhaustion, and daily work engagement.…”

Perfectionism, Worry, and Rumination in Health and Mental Health: A Review and a Conceptual Framework for a Cognitive Theory of Perfectionism

“…For instance, countless studies now exist showing that ruminative brooding is associated with heightened psychological distress and vulnerability to distress (Aldao, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Schweizer, 2010;Lyubomirsky, Layous, Chancellor, & Nelson, 2015), and cognitive perseveration and negative thought intrusions heighten the impact of failure experiences and associated stressors (Ruscio, Seitchik, Gentes, Jones, & Hallion, 2011). Moreover, there is now extensive evidence that attests to the role of rumination and cognitive perseveration in health problems (see Verkuil, Brosschot, Gebhardt, & Thayer, 2011). This research is designed to test the cognitive perseveration hypothesis, which is the notion that rumination in response to an extensive range of stressors tends to prolong the stress response in ways than can have dire health-related consequences (see Brosschot, Gerin, & Thayer, 2006).…”

Three Views of Emotion Regulation and Health

“…While avoidance involves too little attention to emotion, cognitive perseveration (PC) involves too much (Brosschot, Verkuil, & Thayer, 2010; Brosschot et al., 2007; Verkuil, Brosschot, Gebhardt, & Thayer, 2011). PC is defined as the repeated or chronic activation of stressful cognitions (Brosschot, Gerin, & Thayer, 2006).…”

“…Several processes entail PC, including worrying (anxious thoughts about the future) and depressive rumination (repeated thoughts about negative moods or past failures). PC provides an important connection between stressful events and health outcomes because it results in prolonged negative emotional and physiological activation (Brosschot et al., 2007, 2010; Verkuil et al., 2011). Adaptive stress responses involve strong but brief psychological and physiological mobilization that rapidly returns to baseline when the stressor is removed.…”