Abstract
The present study investigated the hypothesis that rumination, induced through a negative-based self reflection questionnaire would hinder cognitive ability in undergraduate females, as measured by an anagram test. Sixty-eight females from Brigham Young University took an anagram test and filled out the Beck Depression Inventory, the Burns Anxiety Inventory, and Rumination Responses Scale. Thirty-seven of these participants also filled out a Rumination Induction Questionnaire (RIQ) before taking the anagram test. Manipulation checks indicated that the Rumination Induction Questionnaire was an ineffective method for inducing rumination. Results did not support the original hypothesis. Instead, results showed that those who took the RIQ performed no different on the anagram task than those who did not. Additionally, ruminators and non-ruminators performed no differently from one another, indicating that there was no causal role between rumination and anagram performance. The study also supported previous research finding; that rumination, anxiety, and depression are strongly related. Possible limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Recommended Citation
(2008)
"Rumination and Cognitive Ability in Undergraduate Females,"
Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology: Vol. 4:
Iss.
1, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/intuition/vol4/iss1/8