Effects of active and passive rumination and distraction: A pilot replication with anxious mood

This study examined the degree to which the response theory of depression generalized to anxious mood. The effects of active and passive rumination and distraction were evaluated in undergraduate students who underwent anxious mood induction. Experimental procedures were comparable to those used by Nolen-Hoeksema and colleagues for depressed mood. Anxious, sad, and angry moods were elevated by the anxiety induction procedure. As hypothesized, visual analog scales and affective checklists for anxiety and negative mood overall were lessened more by distraction than rumination. The results suggest that rumination prolongs negative affect. Active versus passive conditions did not influence mood.