Stuck in a rut: perseverative response tendencies and the neuroticism-distress relationship.
Clinical views of neuroticism-linked distress often make reference to the perseverative sorts of mental processes that reinforce such experiences. The goal of the present 7 studies, involving 488 undergraduate participants, was to directly examine such perseverative processes. Individual differences in response perseveration were operationalized in terms of choice reaction time difficulties switching (vs. repeating) responses across consecutive trials. Response perseveration interacted with neuroticism in predicting negative emotion, dissatisfaction with life, and displays of negative emotion (Studies 1-4). Specifically, neuroticism-outcome relations were quite a bit stronger at high levels of perseveration. Additional studies (Studies 5-7) provided support for the convergent and discriminant validity of response perseveration. Overall, the results highlight the manner in which response perseveration reinforces experiences of negative emotion.
Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105, USA. michael.d.robinson@ndsu.edu
Michael D
MD
Robinson
Benjamin M
BM
Wilkowski
Ben S
BS
Kirkeby
Brian P
BP
Meier
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003071:Cognition; D003118:Color Perception; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003657:Decision Making; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004644:Emotions; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010551:Personality; D011340:Problem Solving; D011930:Reaction Time; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012718:Set, Psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications