Co Rumination Research Paper

The construct of co-rumination refers to the excessive discussion of personal problems or distress in a dyadic pair and is a common coping strategy used among close friends. Co-rumination goes beyond simply conversing with a friend by including some key characteristics (Rose, 2002). Co-rumination is marked by a high frequency of discussing the problems and negative feelings with a friend, and repeatedly returning to the same problems. There is a high amount of speculation within the pair regarding causes and consequences of the problem and also trying to understand parts of the problem that may not be clearly understood already. There is often a high level of encouragement to continue the conversation focusing on the problems. Co-rumination may also prevent individuals or pairs from engaging in other potentially more helpful activities, as they are so wrapped up in the discussion of their negative thoughts and emotions. …show more content…
This difference is expected as women tend to have closer relationships with fewer friends and show more disclosure. This gender difference is pronounced in adolescence when life for girls becomes more complex presenting more material for co-rumination, whereas boys have less intimate friendships and are often taught to keep in their emotions. Studies often support that co-rumination leads to both increased friendship quality and closeness in the dyadic pair, as well as increased amounts of internalizing symptoms of depression and anxiety (Rose, 2002; Rose, Carlson, & Waller, 2007). While these outcomes seem to contradict each other it is proposed that co-rumination’s unique combination of both self-disclosure and rumination may offer some explanation. These separate constructs and their contributions to the outcomes co-rumination will be discussed in detail