RUMINATIVE RESPONSE STYLE AND VULNERABILITY TO EPISODES OF DYSPHORIA - GENDER, NEUROTICISM, AND EPISODE DURATION

A number of recent laboratory and prospective field studies suggest th at the tendency to ruminate about dysphoric moods is associated with m ore severe and persistent negative emotional experiences (e.g, Morrow & Nolen-Hoeksema, 1990; Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991). The current pa per reports two studies that rested the hypotheses that (a) ruminative response styles act as a trait vulnerability to dysphoria, particular ly to relatively persistent episodes of dysphoria; (b) aspects of rumi nation that are not likely to be contaminated with the presence and se verity of previous symptomatology (introspection/self-isolation, self- blame) demonstrate vulnerability effects; and (c) rumination mediates the effects of gender and neuroticism on vulnerability to dysphoria. C onsistent supper: was found for each of these hypotheses. Overall, our data suggest that rumination might reflect an important cognitive man ifestation of neuroticism that increases vulnerability to episodes of persistent dysphoria.