Take Some Time to Feel This Over: Relations Between Mood Responses, Indecision, and Creativity

Abstract

Previous characterizations of rumination do not account for why a reflective style of ruminative response to negative mood, as opposed to a brooding style, is linked with greater creativity—especially when indecision is high. Moreover, less is known about ruminative responses to positive mood. The purpose of this investigation is to demonstrate the utility of a new conceptualization of rumination styles that explains their differential effects across negative and positive moods. Using tenets from psychological self-distance theory, reflective and brooding styles were respectively characterized as self-distant and self-immersed, and they were measured with the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), a commonly used indicator of ruminative responses to negative mood. Self-distant and self-immersed responses to positive mood were measured with an RRS adaptation. In this sample, only a self-immersed response to positive mood predicted creativity when indecision was high. Results demonstrate contrasting links between creativity and self-perspectives when responding to negative and positive moods.