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The ecological validity of trait-level rumination measures among women with binge eating symptoms

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Abstract

Purpose

Cognitive rumination is a transdiagnostic construct that has been increasingly studied in the context of eating disorders (EDs). While this literature has consistently linked trait-level general and ED-specific forms of rumination to ED psychopathology, it is not clear whether trait-level measures are independently related to symptoms in daily life. Therefore, the present study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess the ecological validity of trait measures of general rumination and ED-specific rumination, and assess the degree to which ruminative brooding and reflection were differentially related to relevant momentary affective, cognitive, and behavioral processes.

Methods

Forty women completed baseline measures (Ruminative Response Scale [RRS] and Ruminative Response Scale for Eating Disorders [RRSED]) followed by a 10-day EMA protocol.

Results

Generalized estimating equations indicated trait-level ED-specific rumination was related to momentary general and ED-specific rumination, and trait-level general and ED-specific rumination were related to momentary affect and concentration difficulties. Trait-level general rumination was related to momentary self-discrepancy, while higher trait-level ED-specific rumination was related to greater loss of control eating, overeating, and body dissatisfaction. Lastly, trait levels of ruminative brooding, compared to reflection, were more consistently related to maladaptive momentary symptoms (i.e., general rumination, negative affect, concentration problems, body dissatisfaction).

Conclusion

Together these findings support the ecological validity of the RRSED and identify shared and unique momentary correlates of the RRS and RRSED. Results also highlight the importance of measuring and addressing trait- and state-level ruminative processes that are both general and specific to ED psychopathology in research and clinical work.

Level of evidence

Level V, observational descriptive study.

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Funding

This study was funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH082761).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sanford Center for Bio-behavioral Research, 120 South 8th Street, Fargo, ND, 58103, USA

    Kathryn E. Smith, Lauren M. Schaefer, Ross D. Crosby & Stephen A. Wonderlich

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA

    Kathryn E. Smith, Ross D. Crosby & Stephen A. Wonderlich

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    Katherine Schaumberg

  4. Department of Psychology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA

    Erin E. Reilly

  5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Lisa M. Anderson

  6. Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    Robert Dvorak

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  1. Kathryn E. Smith
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  2. Katherine Schaumberg
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Correspondence to Kathryn E. Smith.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional review board (Sanford IRB CR00000857) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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All participants provided informed consent, and study procedures received IRB approval.

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Smith, K.E., Schaumberg, K., Reilly, E.E. et al. The ecological validity of trait-level rumination measures among women with binge eating symptoms. Eat Weight Disord 26, 181–190 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00838-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00838-x

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