Personality Traits, Emotional Competencies and Rumination: Measuring Individual and Joint Effect on Psychological Well-Being

Although a large body of research suggests, that rumination is a strong and consistent predictor for poor well-being, data gathered from other studies underlie possible adaptive mechanisms of rumination and speak of positive aspects of repetitive thinking. Using three-dimensional model of rumination (brooding, reflective pondering and depression-related rumination) the study explores adaptive and maladaptive styles of rumination and their psycho-emotional correlates. The present study utilizes response styles theory (RST) and explores adaptive and maladaptive rumination styles (brooding, reflective pondering and depression-related rumination) and their psycho-emotional correlates. Data was obtained from 210 participants (63% Female, 77% age between 18-25) Georgian university students, who completed questionnaires assessing Rumination (Brooding, Reflection, Depression-related), Psychological well-being, Trait Emotional Intelligence (TEI) (Well-being, Sociability, Self-control, Emotionality) and HEXACO Personality Traits (Extraversion, Honesty-humility, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotionality, Openness). Hierarchical regression was performed to empirically explore the relationships between rumination dimensions, personality traits, emotional competencies and psychological well-being. Results revealed that total score of rumination is negatively associated with psychological well-being, although, when examining closely, depression-related rumination turned out to be the only negative predictor for psychological well-being, thus the only maladaptive form of rumination. Sequential mediation was performed to understand direct and indirect paths that linked personality traits, emotional competencies and rumination styles to well - being. Findings revealed that Depression-related rumination mediates the positive relationship between emotional self-control (TEI) and well-being, meaning that, lack of emotional regulation associated higher levels of rumination, which on its hand negatively affected well-being. Also, Depression-related rumination mediates the relationship between extraversion and psychological well - being.