Effects of abstract versus concrete rumination about anger on affect.

BACKGROUND: The processing-mode theory of rumination proposes that an abstract mode of rumination results in more maladaptive consequences than a concrete ruminative mode. It is supported by evidence mostly from the area of depression and little is known of the relative consequences of abstract versus concrete rumination for anger. AIMS: We investigated the differential effects of abstract versus concrete rumination about anger on individuals' current affect. We hypothesized that abstract rumination would increase current anger and negative affect, and decrease positive affect, to a greater extent than concrete rumination. METHOD: In a within-subject design, 120 participants were instructed to focus on a past social event that resulted in intense anger and then to ruminate about the event in both an abstract and a concrete mode, in a randomly assigned order. Current anger, negative and positive affect were assessed before and after each rumination phase. RESULTS: Anger and negative affect increased and positive affect decreased from pre- to post-rumination. Contrary to expectations, these patterns were observed irrespective of the ruminative mode induced. CONCLUSIONS: This initial study does not support the hypothesis that abstract and concrete rumination about anger have different consequences for current affect. Replications and more extensive designs are needed.

Validity of the counter-app method in the assessment of intrusions.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The counter-app method is often used to assess the frequency of intrusions. The method requires the participants to press a button on a smartphone whenever an intrusion occurs during a predefined time period. We evaluated the convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity of the counter-app method in two studies. METHODS: In the first study, we assessed the frequency of intrusions with a counter-app method, thought-sampling method, and a retrospective measure in N = 77 students. Additionally, we assessed retrospectively-estimated duration, percentage of time, intensity, and intrusiveness of intrusions. The second study (N = 65) was identical to the first except the thinking-aloud method replaced the thought-sampling method, and additionally we assessed behavioral neutralizing. RESULTS: The counter-app frequency was positively correlated with the convergent (thought-sampling and thinking-aloud frequencies, and retrospectively-estimated frequencies of intrusions) and predictive (behavioral neutralizing) validity criteria. The correlations between counter-app frequency and discriminant validity criteria (retrospectively-estimated duration, percentage of time, intensity, and intrusiveness of intrusions) were not smaller than the correlations between counter-app frequency and convergent validity criteria. LIMITATIONS: We evaluated the predictive validity of the counter-app method using a criterion typical of obsessive-compulsive disorder research. Thus, the result for predictive validity might not transfer to other areas. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support convergent and predictive, but not discriminant, validity of the counter-app method. The counter-app method can validly assess the frequency of intrusions but is not appropriate if the study requires the differentiation of frequency from other constructs such as duration.

Exam-related unwanted intrusive thoughts and related neutralizing behaviors: Analogues to obsessions and compulsions.

Exam-related unwanted intrusive thoughts (UITs) and related neutralizing behaviors are common experiences among students. The present study investigated in what ways these UITs and behaviors are analogues to clinical obsessions and compulsions. Twenty-nine students completed three ecological momentary assessment surveys per day over 7 consecutive days, assessing the severity of exam-related UITs and related neutralizing behaviors, obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, anxiety, distress, urge to neutralize, depressed mood, and stress in the week immediately before an exam period. Multilevel analysis demonstrated that the severity of exam-related UITs and related neutralizing behaviors was positively associated with OC symptoms, anxiety, distress, urge to neutralize, and stress but was not related to depressed mood. During the study period, the exam-related UITs occurred on average 7 times, and the related neutralizing behaviors on average 6 times. Overall, they were experienced with mild severity, low distress, and low urge to neutralize. Findings indicate that some aspects of exam-related UITs and related neutralizing behaviors (e.g., association with distress and urge to neutralize) might be analogous to OC symptoms but not all (e.g., no relation to depressed mood). We discuss how research on obsessive-compulsive disorder could benefit from considering exam-related UITs and related behaviors.

Rumination about obsessive symptoms and mood maintains obsessive-compulsive symptoms and depressed mood: An experimental study.

Rumination is common in individuals diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We sought to clarify the causal role of rumination in the immediate and intermediate maintenance of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and depressed mood. In total, 145 individuals diagnosed with OCD were asked to read aloud their most distressing obsessive thought (OT). OT activation was followed by a thought-monitoring phase in which frequency of the OT was assessed. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three experimental conditions: rumination about obsessive-compulsive symptoms, rumination about mood, or distraction. Ratings of distress, urge to neutralize, and depressed mood and frequency ratings of the OTs were taken before and after the experimental manipulation. Obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and affect were assessed 2, 4, and 24 hr after the laboratory experiment using ecological momentary assessment. Compared to distraction, both types of rumination resulted in an immediate reduced decline of distress, urge to neutralize, depressed mood, and frequency of OTs, with medium to large effect sizes. Rumination about obsessive-compulsive symptoms did not have a stronger immediate effect than rumination about mood. Rumination about obsessive-compulsive symptoms increased obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and reduced positive affect compared to rumination about mood 24 hr later. Regarding negative affect, there was no difference in effect between the two types of rumination in the intermediate term. To conclude, rumination in OCD has an immediate and intermediate maintaining effect on obsessive-compulsive symptoms and mood and may require additional psychological interventions that supplement cognitive behavioral therapy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).