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Abstract
In view of recent findings regarding the multifaceted nature of rumination in adults and older adolescents, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the construct of rumination as a 2-factor model (brooding and reflection) in a child and early adolescent sample as well as examine sex differences and associations between depressive symptoms and these ruminative subtypes. Participants were children in 2nd through 7th grades (N = 303). Results of a confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesis that subtypes of rumination (2-factor model) are present in children and provided a better fit than a unitary construct of rumination (1-factor model). As predicted, girls endorsed higher levels of brooding than boys, and brooding (not reflection) was uniquely related to depressive symptoms. Results revealed that a distinction between brooding and reflection subtypes is warranted as it can help lead to better assessment and identification of risk factors of depression.
Notes
Note. CRSS = Children's Response Styles Scale; B = Brooding; R = Reflection.
Note. CRSS = Children's Response Styles Scale; BR = Brooding; REF = Reflection; CDI = Children's Depression Inventory.
∗∗p < .01.
Note. Satorra–Bentler Scaled Statistic; TLI = Tucker–Lewis index; CFI = comparative fit index; RMSEA = root mean square error of approximation.
∗p < .05.
∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.
1Because response styles theory argues that maladaptive response styles are not only correlates that are present with depressive symptoms but also risk factors that precede presence of depressive symptoms, a stronger test of this theory would exclude symptomatic participants. Thus, a reanalysis of the hypothesis was conducted. Participants with clinically significant depressive symptoms (participants with CDI scores of 19 or above; 31 children, 10.2% of sample) were excluded from the analyses, as higher levels of depression could boost scores of response styles and thus hide the associations of brooding and reflection with sex that are present before symptoms of depression are present. Results replicated patterns found from analyses conducted with the whole sample. Sex was a significant predictor for brooding (β = .12, t = 2.06, p = .04), demonstrating that girls brood more than boys. There was also a reduced effect of sex on reflection (β = .10, t = 1.68, p = .10).
2We credit one of the anonymous reviewers for drawing our attention to this adapted form.