Mediating Role of Decentering in the Associations between Self-Reflection, Self-Rumination, and Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Theorists have suggested that self-focused attention has adaptive and maladaptive aspects and have proposed self-rumination and self-reflection. Previous research on self-focus and mindfulness have shown that self-rumination increases depression and counteracts decentering which is the capacity to take a detached view of one's thoughts and emotions. On the contrary, although self-reflection was defined as an adaptive type of self-focus, its contents or mode have not been examined, and the mechanism of its contribution to psychological adjustment is still not well understood. Hence, we explored the function of self-reflection in relation to decentering to elucidate its adaptivity. Two-hundred and forty-nine Japanese undergraduate students participated in our cross-sectional questionnaire study. Mediation analysis indicated that individuals with higher levels of self-reflection showed more decentering and less depressive symptoms while self-ruminative participants showed less decentering and more depressive symptoms. This result suggests that self-reflection involves decentered self-focused attention, and its adaptive function appears when self-reflection leads to increased decentering.

Concurrent effects of different psychological processes in the prediction of depressive symptoms – the role of cognitive fusion

“…Studies show a strong association between depressive symptoms and cognitive fusion (e.g., Cvetanovski 2014; Dinis et al 2015;Gillanders et al 2014), decentering (e.g., Bieling et al 2012; COGNITIVE FUSION'S PREDICTIVE POWER OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS 4 2007a; Fresco et al 2007b;Linares et al 2016;Mori and Tanno 2015), mindfulness (e.g., Baer et al 2008;Brown and Ryan 2003;Carmody and Baer 2008), and metacognitive dimensions (e.g., Huntley and Fisher 2016;Lashkary et al 2016;Sarisoy et al 2014). …”

The Effects of Mindfulness on Self-Rumination, Self-Reflection, and Depressive Symptoms: A Research Proposal

“…Since the key idea of decentering is the changing of one's relationship with the contents of their thoughts and emotions, researchers have suggested that decentering mitigates rumination because decentered individuals can disengage once becoming aware of their ruminative thoughts (Teasdale et al, 2002). Consistent with this theory, past findings have shown a negative association between decentering and rumination, and decentering has been found to be negatively associated with depression (Fresco et al, 2007;McCracken, Barker & Chilcot, 2014;Mori & Tanno, 2015).…”

“…In contrast to self-rumination, self-reflection is considered to be positively associated with decentering (Lau et al, 2006). In a study by Mori and Tanno (2015), individuals with a higher degree of reported self-reflection revealed more decentering and less depressive symptoms. These findings lend support to the proposed hypothesis that through self-reflection, individuals can attend objectively to their inner experiences-both adaptive and maladaptive-which may allow them to more effectively regulate their thoughts and feelings.…”

Examining the Relationship between Self-rumination and Happiness: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Subjective Vitality

“…That is to say, people who have high self-rumination levels put the blame on self for negative circumstances, and then they feel as abject, wicked, hopelessness and etc. Previous studies indicated relationships between self-rumination and maladaptive constructions such as major depression (Mori & Tanno, 2015;Takano & Tanno, 2009), anxiety (Vassilopoulos, 2008, unhappiness (Elliott & Coker, 2008), low self-esteem (Joireman, Parrot, & Hammersla, 2002), and dysfunctional interpersonal relations (Lyubomirsky & Nolen-Hoeksema, 1995).…”

“…Self-focused attention has been defined as "an awareness of self-referent, internally generated information that stands in contrast to an awareness of externally generated information derived through sensory receptors" (Ingram, 1990, p. 156). In this context, self-rumination is asserted as a threat for stability of self (Mori & Tanno, 2015). Self-rumination, in addition to rumination, includes negative beliefs of self, such as guiltiness, inferiority, indecency (Sarıçam, 2014).…”