The Differential Relations between Perceived Social Support and Rumination-Associated Goals

Abstract

in this study with N = 93 student participants, we employed a daily process approach to investigate sadness-associated rumination in daily life. Specifically, we examined whether the attainment of coping-related goals that people intend to achieve with their sadness-associated rumination were associated with changes in perceived social support. Moreover, we investigated the relations between sadness-related cognitive appraisals, goal pursuit and attainment, and ruminative process variables. Perceived social support was positively related to the attainment of resolution-focused goals, but not to understanding-focused goals, suggesting that social support is particularly associated with a functional ruminative style.According to emotion theories, sadness arises as a response to the experience of loss, which can come in different forms such as losses in relationships, physical health or functioning, self-esteem, or