Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 26, 2025

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
Published on: May 19, 2015
Difficulties in emotion regulation: The role of repetitive negative thinking and metacognitive beliefs
Giovanni Mansueto1, Claudia Marino2, Sara Palmieri3
1Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University, Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143 Milan, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, 50135 Florence, Italy.
Background:
Using the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model as a basis, this study explored whether, in both general population and clinical samples, metacognitive beliefs and repetitive negative thinking (i.e., rumination and worry) are associated with higher levels of emotion dysregulation.
Methods:
395 participants from the general population and 388 outpatients seeking psychological treatment were recruited. Emotion dysregulation, metacognitive beliefs, rumination, worry, anxiety, depression, personality disorders were assessed. ANOVA and Welch's tests, correlation and path analyses were run.
Results:
Repetitive negative thinking was found to play a mediating role in the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and emotion dysregulation in both general population and clinical samples. Moreover, metacognitive beliefs were found to be directly associated to emotion dysregulation.
Limitations:
The cross-sectional design.
Conclusions:
Emotion dysregulation appears to be associated with the tendency to engage in repetitive negative thinking and metacognitive beliefs. Repetitive negative thinking and metacognitive beliefs could be a suitable therapeutic target to reduce difficulties in emotion regulation.
More Related Videos
09:14Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: March 14, 2025
08:09Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Beck's Cognitive Therapy
Arbitrary Inference
Arbitrary inference involves making conclusions without sufficient...
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Metacognition
Counterfactual Thinking
Cognitive Therapy
The Influence of Cognition on Affect