Studies indicate that rumination might play a role in obsessive–compulsive disorder. In a previous experimental study, rumination about an unwanted intrusive thought (UIT) maintained the urge to neutralize this thought. We sought to replicate and extend these findings with measures of behavioral and mental neutralizing. Additionally, we investigated possible mechanisms that might be involved in the effects of rumination on the UIT. We activated a UIT by asking students ( N = 105) to write down a sentence stating that they wished a loved person would die in a car accident. Participants were randomly allocated to rumination about the UIT, rumination about negative mood, or distraction. As predicted, rumination about the UIT maintained the urge to neutralize the UIT, relative to rumination about negative mood and distraction. In addition, rumination about the UIT also maintained distress associated with the UIT compared to rumination about negative mood and distraction. The effects of rumination did not extend to behavioral or mental neutralizing. UIT frequency and vividness were unaffected by rumination. The present findings strengthen the confidence that rumination contributes to the maintenance of UITs.

Th is paper focuses on the transparency of Slovak municipalities. It identifi es the main trends in the transparency of the 100 largest Slovak municipalities between 2010 and 2014. It shows that there are diff erent degrees of transparency in Slovak municipalities, and it applies regressions to explore correlates and identify the main factors behind this state. Th is research is descriptive and explanatory and adds to literature by examining political, structural factors related to the political supply of the transparency of the municipalities and the convergence eff ect. Th e regression analysis identifi es the convergence eff ect, according to which the transparency of municipalities improves inversely to their initial score. It also fi nds a negative incumbency eff ect that indicates lower improvement for incumbent mayors than for new ones. Th e size of a municipality is also one of the factors that determine the transparency level of that municipality. Th is relationship is positive -greater size of a municipality increases the level of its transparency.

The SNF was not involved in the design of the study, analysis, or interpretation of the data. All procedures involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the ethics committee of northwest and central Switzerland (Ethikkommission Nordwest-und Zentralschweiz), 2017-01980. We thank our colleagues who supported us with data collection at the respective clinics.

Previous studies suggest that a ruminative thinking style (RTS) is positively associated with the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and might be involved in the maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We sought to replicate this association in a sample of individuals with OCD, controlling for depressive and anxiety symptom severity, and to extend previous studies by including an interview measure of obsessive-compulsive symptom severity. A sample of 140 individuals diagnosed with OCD participated in a cross-sectional observational study. Participants completed questionnaire measures of an RTS as well as obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and anxiety symptom severity. Obsessive-compulsive symptom severity was additionally assessed with an interview. When statistically controlling for depressive and anxiety symptom severity, an RTS continued to predict the questionnaire, but not the interview measure of obsessive-compulsive symptom severity. We discuss possible explanations for these mixed findings, emphasizing the unique aspects of each measure, and consider implications for further research on OCD.

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