Cognitive control moderates the association between stress and rumination

Background and ObjectivesA prospective design was used to examine whether inter-individual differences in cognitive control ability, for non-emotional and emotional material, play a moderating role in the association between the occurrence of a stressful event and the tendency to ruminate.MethodsAt baseline, the Internal Switch Task (IST) was administered in an undergraduate sample to measure the ability to switch attention between items held in working memory. Six weeks after baseline, self-report questionnaires were administered at 4 fixed moments during their first examination period at university, measuring stressors, rumination and depressive symptoms.ResultsResults revealed that impaired cognitive control, reflected in larger switch costs, moderated the association between stress and increased rumination. Interestingly, a larger switch cost when processing emotional material was specifically associated with increased depressive brooding in response to stress. No effects with reflective pondering were observed.ConclusionsImplications for understanding the underlying mechanisms of rumination are discussed.

► Theory states that cognitive control impairments can contribute to rumination. ► We examine whether cognitive control moderates rumination upon stress. ► A prospective design was used. ► Reduced cognitive control over emotional material predicted brooding upon stress.