Positive beliefs about depressive rumination: Development and preliminary validation of a self-report scale

Despite the negative consequences of depressive rumination, little is known about the factors that may be linked to a predisposition to ruminate. Well s and Matthews (1994) suggested that rumination is associated with underlyi ng metacognitive beliefs. Papageorgiou and Wells (in press) provided eviden ce for the presence of positive and negative metacognitive beliefs about ru mination in recurrent major depression. A series of studies concerned with the development and validation of a measure of positive beliefs about rumin ation, the Positive Beliefs About Rumination Scale (PBRS), is reported. Fac tor analyses of the scale demonstrated a single factor. The PBRS showed hig h internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and good psychometric p roperties of concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity. The scale w as used to test relations between positive beliefs, rumination, and depress ion. The results were consistent with path models in which rumination media ted the effects of positive beliefs about rumination on state and trait dep ression.