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A multimethod assessment to study the relationship between rumination and gender differences.
Agata Ando'1, Luciano Giromini1, Francesca Ales1
1Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Italy.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
|July 21, 2020
Summary
Rumination, a maladaptive emotional regulation strategy, was higher in females but linked to impaired emotional regulation in males. Physiological responses showed no gender differences, suggesting complex interactions between rumination, gender, and emotional regulation.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Rumination involves repetitive focus on negative emotions and failures, impairing emotional regulation.
- It's linked to exaggerated physiological reactivity and attentional control difficulties.
- Understanding rumination's role in physiological and attentional strategies is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of rumination in physiological response changes.
- To examine the engagement of dysfunctional attentional strategies associated with rumination.
- To explore gender differences in rumination, emotional regulation, and physiological responses.
Main Methods:
- Multimethod assessment including self-reports (RRQ, DERS-16), Heart Rate Variability (HRV) recording, and the Stroop Task.
- Sixty-eight participants (30 males, 38 females) completed questionnaires and attention tasks.
- HRV was recorded during a baseline-stress-recovery paradigm, with repeated Stroop Task administration.
Main Results:
- Rumination levels were higher in females than males.
- In males, rumination strongly correlated with overall impaired emotional regulation.
- No significant gender differences were observed in physiological data related to rumination and emotion dysregulation.
Conclusions:
- Rumination's manifestation and impact on emotional regulation may differ across genders.
- Physiological responses to stress do not appear to be gender-differentiated in relation to rumination.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay between rumination, gender, and emotional regulation mechanisms.
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