1. Address any correspondence to Blake Tierney (TierneyBE@hendrix.edu) or to
Dr. Ruthann Thomas (ThomasR@hendrix.edu)
Influence of Rumination and Mind-Wandering on Memory for Negative-Valenced Distraction
Blake Tierney and Ruthann Thomas
Hendrix College
METHODS
Participants:
44 students at Hendrix College (Nfemales = 34; Mage = 20)
Design: 2 x 2 x 2 factorial:
• IV: Focus condition (ruminative-; distracted-thinking)
• IV: Word valence (negative; neutral)
• IV: Mind-wandering group (high, low)
• DV: Corrected recognition (hits minus False Alarms)
PROCEDURE
STEP 1: Mind-Wandering Tendency measure
Daydreaming Frequency Subscale (Singer & Antrobus, 1970)
STEP 2: Focus Statements
Participants either focused on ruminative-thinking statements
or distracted-thinking statements (Wong & Moulds, 2008).
STEP 3: Pictures Task with Distracting Stimuli
Instructed to ignore the words, attend to pictures, and respond
when the same picture was shown back-to-back
STEP 4: Math Task (10-minute Retention Interval)
STEP 5: Recognition Memory Test
40 negative words, 40 neutral words. Half of each type were
in the pictures task (repeated 3 times each)
Think about:
the long-term goals you have set
repentant
NEW OLD
Think about:
and imagine a boat slowly crossing the Atlantic
Our results add a new layer to the conflicting findings of the
rumination literature. Only after we considered mind-
wandering tendency along with the act of rumination did it
appear that rumination has an effect on memory for
distraction. Rumination for low mind-wanderers affected
memory for distraction differently than rumination for
high mind-wanderers. Mind-wandering tendencies must
be explored in rumination literature. The tendency and
the act of rumination need to be studied together and
alongside the tendency and act of mind-wandering.
I daydream at work (or school)
a) Infrequently.
b) Once a week.
c) Once a day.
d) A few times per day.
e) Many different times a
day.
REFERENCES
Forster, S., & Lavie, N. (2014). Distracted by your mind? Individual differences in distractibility predict mind wandering. Journal of
Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(1), 251-260. doi: 10.1037/a0034108
Stawarczyk, D., Majerus, S., Van der Linden, M., D’Argembeau, A. (2012). Using the daydreaming frequency scale to investigate the
relationships between mind-wandering, psychological well-being, and present-moment awareness. Frontier in Psychology, 3, 1-
15. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00363
Singer, J. L., & Antrobus, J. S. (1970). Imaginal processes inventory. New York City, NY: Center for Research in Cognition and Affect.
Available from http://neuroinformatics.harvard.edu/w/public/images/5/55/Ipi.pdf
Whitmer, A. J., & Gotlib, I. H. (2013). An attentional scope model of rumination. Psychological Bulletin, 139 (5), 1036-1061.
doi:10.1037/a0030923.
Wong, A. C. M. & Moulds, M. L. (2008). Depressive rumination and directed forgetting: An examination of encoding style. Cognitive
Therapy & Research, 32, 1-10. doi: 10.1007/s106080069107-9
Distractions are irrelevant to a task (and may be negative
emotionally); nonetheless, we notice and remember them.
Rumination: recurring, intrusive, obsessive, often
negative thoughts
• Linked to improved ability to remember negative stimuli
and reduced ability to ignore irrelevant stimuli.
• However, there are conflicts in the literature between trait
rumination (tendency to ruminate) and state rumination
(actually ruminating) when it comes to different types of
irrelevant stimuli (Whitmer & Gotlib, 2012; Wong & Moulds, 2008).
Mind-wandering: divides attention between the current
task and self-concerned thoughts.
• Related to external distractibility, negative mood, and
psychological distress (Forster & Lavie, 2014; Stawarczyk, Majerus,
Van der Linden, D’Argembeau, 2012)
• Why rumination and mind-wandering? Rumination and
mind-wandering share this relation to internal focus,
psychological distress, and distractibility.
BACKGROUND
Primary research question: Does ruminating improve
memory for distraction with negative valence?
Secondary research question: Does mind-wandering
tendency affect recognition memory of negative-valence
distraction, especially for people who are ruminating?
Ruminative
Distracted
Whenever I have time on
my hands I daydream
a) Never.
b) Rarely.
c) Sometimes.
d) Frequently.
e) Always.
disgusted
NEW OLD
modest
NEW OLD
CONCLUSIONS
.000
.100
.200
.300
.400
.500
.600
LOW HIGH
OverallCorrected
RecognitionScores
Mind-Wandering Group
Distracted
Rumination
p < 0.25
F(1, 37) = 6.737, p < .05
*
RESULTS
Primary research question: Rumination, by itself, did not
affect memory for distractions (by valence or across).
Secondary research question: Mind-wandering tendency
facilitates the effect that rumination has on memory for
distractions (across emotional valence).
Of people induced to ruminate, people who were high in
mind-wandering tendency recognized more distracting text
than people low in mind-wandering tendency.