Episodic repetitive thought: dimensions, correlates, and consequences

Abstract

Repetitive thought (RT) – attentive, prolonged, or frequent thought about oneself and one's world – plays an important role in many models of psychological and physical ill health (e.g., rumination and worry), as well as models of recovery and well-being (e.g., processing and reminiscing). In these models, repetitive thought is typically treated as stable or trait-like. In contrast, episodic RT reflects what people have “on their minds” at a particular point in time. In four studies, young women (N=94), college students (N=166), first-year law students (N=73), and older adults (N=174) described their episodic RT, which was then rated for qualities including valence, purpose, and theme. Episodic RT valence was associated with mood and depressive symptoms both between (Studies 1–4) and within people (Studies 3–4), and it mediated the effects of dispositional coping through emotional approach (Study 1). The effect of episodic RT valence in turn was moderated by other properties of episodic RT, including purpose, “trait” valence, and theme (Studies 1–4). The study of episodic RT complements that of trait RT and allows for observations of how RT and psychological adjustment change in concert and in context, as well as examining how the RT qualities that are not reflected in trait measures affect adjustment.

Keywords:

• repetitive thought
• emotional approach coping
• positive affect
• negative affect
• depression

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Templeton Foundation, the Dana Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health (MH61531-R01), and the National Institute on Aging (AG026307-R01 and AG028383-P30).

Notes

This paper was invited by the editors of Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, Aleksandra Luszczynska and Nazanin Derakhshan.