An experimental analogue study into the role of abstract thinking in trauma-related rumination

Trauma-related rumination has been shown to predict the maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, it is still unclear how rumination can be distinguished from functional forms of thinking about traumatic events. The current study used an analogue design to experimentally test the hypothesis that the abstractness of thinking is responsible for the dysfunctional effects of trauma-related rumination. Eighty-three healthy university students first watched a distressing video and were then randomly assigned to abstract ruminative thinking, concrete thinking or distraction. Abstract thinking was found to lead to a significantly longer maintenance of negative mood and arousal than both concrete thinking and distraction. These results are in line with earlier findings in the context of excessive worry and depressive rumination and support the view that abstractness is a critical factor for the dysfunctional effects of trauma-related rumination. However, results regarding intrusive memories were not supportive of the hypotheses. Unexpectedly, the distraction group showed the highest number of intrusions, whereas the abstract and concrete conditions did not significantly differ. Implications for theoretical models of trauma-related rumination and possible clinical implications are discussed.