Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social Rejection: How Best to Think About It?

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Cognitive Therapy and Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

College students who wrote about the abstract context of a recent social rejection (e.g., “How do you think you will view this event in 1–2 years?”) subsequently reported lower levels of depression and rumination symptoms than those who wrote about the abstract reasons or implications (e.g., “Why do you think this happened?”) or those given no writing instructions. A third group who wrote about concrete aspects of their experience (e.g., “As you recall the event, what physical sensations do you notice?”) had lower rumination scores than the no-writing control. Results are discussed in terms of the relative contributions of level of abstraction, contextual focus, and negative self-judgment in emotional processing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ayduk, O., & Kross, E. (2008). Enhancing the pace of recovery: Self-distanced analysis of negative experiences reduces blood pressure reactivity. Psychological Science, 3, 229–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Garbin, M. G. (1988). Psychometric properties of the beck depression inventory: Twenty-five years of evaluation. Clinical Psychology Review, 8, 77–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Ward, C. H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J., & Erbaugh, J. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gortner, E. M., Rude, S. S., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2006). Benefits of expressive writing in lowering rumination and depressive symptoms. Behavior Therapy, 37, 292–303.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 348–362.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hedlund, S., & Rude, S. S. (1995). Evidence of latent depressive schemata in formerly depressed individuals. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104(3), 517–525.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, M. (1998). The only way out is through: Emotional processing and recovery after a depressing life event. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36(4), 361–384.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kross, E., & Ayduk, O. (2008). Facilitating adaptive emotional analysis: Distinguishing distanced-analysis of depressive experiences from immersed-analysis and distraction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(7), 924–938.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kross, E., Ayduk, O., & Mischel, W. (2005). When asking ‘Why’ does not hurt: Distinguishing rumination from reflective processing of negative emotions. Psychological Science, 16(9), 709–715.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuehner, C., & Weber, I. (1999). Responses to depression in unipolar depressed patients: An investigation of Nolen-Hoeksema’s response styles theory. Psychological Medicine, 29(6), 1323–1333.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Low, C. A., Stanton, A. L., & Bower, J. E. (2008). Effects of acceptance-oriented versus evaluative emotional processing on heart rate recovery and habituation. Emotion, 8(3), 419–424.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moberly, N., & Watkins, E. (2006). Processing mode influences the relationship between trait rumination and emotional vulnerability. Behavior Therapy, 37(3), 281–291.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nolan, S., Roberts, J., & Gotlib, I. (1998). Neuroticism and ruminative response style as predictors of change in depressive symptomatology. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 22(5), 445–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (1991). Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100(4), 569–582.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2000). The role of rumination in depressive disorders and mixed anxiety/depressive symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109(3), 504–511.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Morrow, J. (1991). A prospective study of depression and posttraumaticstress symptoms after a natural disaster: The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 115–121.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pennebaker, J. W. (1989). Confession, inhibition, and disease. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 22, 211–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pennebaker, J. (1997). Opening up: The healing power of expressing emotions (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pennebaker, J. W., Francis, M. E., & Booth, R. J. (2001). Linguistic inquiry and word count (LIWC): LIWC2001. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pennebaker, J., & O’Heeron, R. (1984). Confiding in others and illness rate among spouses of suicide and accidental-death victims. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 93(4), 473–476.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rimes, K. A., & Watkins, E. (2005). The effects of self-focused rumination on global negative self-judgments in depression. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 43(12), 1673–1681.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, J., Gilboa, E., & Gotlib, I. (1998). Ruminative response style and vulnerability to episodes of dysphoria: Gender, neuroticism, and episode duration. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 22(4), 401–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rude, S. S., Covich, J., Jarrold, W., Hedlund, S., & Zenter, M. (2001). Detecting depressive schemata in vulnerable individuals: Questionnaires versus laboratory tasks. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 25, 103–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rude, S. S., Durham-Fowler, J. A., Baum, E. S., Rooney, S. B., & Maestas, K. L. (in press). Self-report and cognitive processing measure of depressive thinking predict subsequent major depressive disorder. Cognitive Therapy and Research.

  • Rude, S. S., Gortner, E. M., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2004). Language use of depressed and depression-vulnerable college students. Cognition and Emotion, 18, 1121–1133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rude, S., Maestas, K., & Neff, K. (2007). Paying attention to distress: What’s wrong with rumination? Cognition & Emotion, 21(4), 843–864.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rude, S. S., Valdez, C., Odom, S., & Ebrahimi, A. (2003). Negative cognitive biases predict subsequent depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 27(4), 415–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2002). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: A new approach to preventing relapse. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, J. (1998). Written emotional expression: Effect sizes, outcome types, and moderating variables. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(1), 174–184.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stirman, S. W., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2001). Word use in the poetry of suicidal and nonsuicidal poets. Psychosomatic Medicine, 63, 517–522.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, E. (2004). Adaptive and maladaptive ruminative self-focus during emotional processing. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42(9), 1037–1052. Festschrift special issue for John Teasdale.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, E. R. (2008). Constructive and unconstructive repetitive thought. Psychological Bulletin, 134(2), 163–206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, E., Moberly, N. J., & Moulds, M. L. (2008). Processing mode causally influences emotional reactivity: Distinct effects of abstract versus concrete construal on emotional response. Emotion, 8(3), 364–378.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, E., & Moulds, M. (2005). Distinct modes of ruminative self-focus: Impact of abstract versus concrete rumination on problem solving in depression. Emotion, 5(3), 319–328.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, E., & Teasdale, J. D. (2001). Rumination and over general memory in depression: Effect of self focus and analytic thinking. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(2), 353–357.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, E., & Teasdale, J. D. (2004). Adaptive and maladaptive self-focus in depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 82(1), 1–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, E., Teasdale, J. D., & Williams, R. M. (2003). Contextual questions prevent mood primes from maintaining experimentally induced dysphoria. Cognition and Emotion, 17(3), 455–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, D. S., & Marmar, C. R. (1997). The impact of event scale—revised. In J. P. Wilson & T. M. Keane (Eds.), Assessing psychological trauma and PTSD (pp. 399–411). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wenzlaff, R. (1993). The mental control of depression: Psychological obstacles to emotional well-being. In D. M. Wegner & J. W. Pennebaker (Eds.), Handbook of mental control (pp. 239–257). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wenzlaff, R., Wegner, D., & Roper, D. (1988). Depression and mental control: The resurgence of unwanted negative thoughts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55(6), 882–892.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Stephanie S. Rude, Francesco A. Mazzetti, Hoimonti Pal & Melissa R. Stauble

Authors
  1. Stephanie S. Rude
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Francesco A. Mazzetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hoimonti Pal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Melissa R. Stauble
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephanie S. Rude.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rude, S.S., Mazzetti, F.A., Pal, H. et al. Social Rejection: How Best to Think About It?. Cogn Ther Res 35, 209–216 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-010-9296-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-010-9296-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation