Rumination moderates the effects of daily events on negative mood: results from a diary study

Rumination describes a detrimental response to distress that involves repetitive thoughts about one's emotional state and its causes and potential consequences. Many experimental studies have shown that induced state rumination exacerbates the effect of laboratory stressors on negative affect. The current study examines whether use of rumination in response to specific real-life events moderates the association between unpleasant daily events and negative mood. One hundred fifty-seven undergraduate participants completed daily diaries for six consecutive days. The daily diaries assessed current mood, a survey of unpleasant daily events, and use of rumination in response to the most unpleasant daily event. Data were analyzed with a multilevel random coefficient modeling (MRCM) approach. It was predicted and found that use of rumination in daily life moderates the relation between unpleasant daily events and negative mood. On days when participants reported intense rumination use, higher levels of unpleasant daily events predicted higher levels of negative mood. By contrast, on days when participants reported lower use of rumination, higher levels of unpleasant events were not associated with higher levels of negative mood. This study is the first to demonstrate that real-life use of rumination moderates the relation between unpleasant events and mood in daily life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).