Ruminative response style and vulnerability to episodes of dysphoria: Gender, neuroticism, and episode duration

A number of recent laboratory and prospective field studies suggest that the tendency to ruminate about dysphoric moods is associated with more severe and persistent negative emotional experiences (e.g., Morrow and Nolen- Hoeksema, 1990; Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow, 1991). The current paper reports two studies that tested the hypotheses that (a) ruminative response styles act as a trait vulnerability to dysphoria, particularly to relatively persistent episodes of dysphoria; (b) aspects of rumination that are not likely to be contaminated with the presence and severity of previous symptomatology (introspection/self-isolation, self-blame) demonstrate vulnerability effects; and (c) rumination mediates the effects of gender and neuroticism on vulnerability to dysphoria. Consistent support was found for each of these hypotheses. Overall, our data suggest that rumination might reflect an important cognitive manifestation of neuroticism that increases vulnerability to episodes of persistent dysphoria.