The association between superior working memory and trait-rumination

Abstract

Higher trait-rumination is associated with several psychopathologies. Previous studies showed that an impaired working memory in depressed patients was associated with higher trait-rumination. Meanwhile, in the nonclinical undergraduate population, a few studies reported the association between superior working memory and trait-rumination. To clarify the association between trait-rumination and the individual differences in working memory, we utilised two conceptually different working memory functions: attentional control and removal speed. Attentional control is involved in continuing to focus on goal-relevant information while blocking goal-irrelevant information and is reflected by working memory capacity. Removal speed is the time required to quickly remove goal-irrelevant information from working memory. Ninety-five undergraduate students took the reading span test and the working-memory-updating task to measure these functions. Results showed that increased trait-rumination was correlated to superior performance in the attentional control as well as the removal speed after controlling depressive symptoms. The current findings suggest that higher trait-rumination in undergraduate students is characterized by superior working memory, which contrasts with prior findings of people with depression. Further studies should examine the roles of superior working memory from the viewpoint of the developmental processes of rumination.