Predicting cognitive and social consequences of emotional episodes: The contribution of emotional intensity, the Five Factor Model, and alexithymia

Emotional events are followed by recurrent thoughts (rumination) and talkin g about the event (social sharing of emotion). Factors that can account for variations in these consequences were examined (emotional intensity, the F ive Factor Model, and two factors of alexithymia), In two samples, particip ants reported the most negative emotional event of recent months and in one sample also reported the most positive one. Results indicated that emotion al intensity predicted social sharing and rumination, while neuroticism was positively related to intrusive thoughts about negative events and extrave rsion to rumination and social sharing about positive events. Difficulty de scribing feelings was negatively related to social sharing for negative eve nts and reduced fantasy to rumination for positive events. (C) 2000 Academi c Press.