A Fugue on Rumination: On the Dynamic Nature of Rumination’s Key Features and Their Complex Interplay with Executive Control
Year: 2024
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis reconceptualizes rumination as a dynamic, multifaceted construct, challenging its predominant portrayal as unitary and static in mental health research. We used experimental and intensive longitudinal methods to investigate rumination’s temporal fluctuations and intricate relationship with executive control, a key hypothesized mechanism. Results suggested that negative thought content drove rumination, whereas other features (e.g., repetitiveness) seemed to stem from goal-regulation failures. And, while rumination disrupted executive control, the reverse was not found: weakened executive control was not related to increased rumination. This work calls for a re-evaluation of prevailing theories, suggests methodological refinements, and advocates for intensive longitudinal research and multivariate modeling to capture the intricate dynamics of mental processes.
Author: Hoebeke, Yorgo
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6981930662