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Abstract
This study investigated the degree to which cognitive flexibility (CF) is related to rumination as part of the overall coping process. We sought to test four hypotheses concerning the relationship between global CF and four specific types of rumination (deliberate, intrusive, reflective, and brooding rumination.) We also aimed to investigate relations between the three facets of CF and each type of rumination from an exploratory standpoint. Participants completed the Cognitive Flexibility Scale, the Events Related Rumination Inventory, and the Ruminative Responses Scale-Revised. Multivariate regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between CF and each style of rumination. Results confirmed our predictions that global CF would be positively related to deliberate and reflective rumination, and negatively related to intrusive and brooding rumination. Examination of unique relations between the three facets of CF (perspective shifting, problem solving, and self-efficacy) and rumination showed that perspective shifting was positively related to all forms of rumination, problem solving was negatively related to all forms of rumination, and self-efficacy was only (negatively) related to brooding. That the unique aspects of the CF facets are related to rumination in opposite ways suggests that the cognitive aspects of rumination are not fully understood. Future research should focus on further construct clarification of rumination which may yield a more holistic set of rumination factors (e.g., reveries, daydreaming, mindfulness).