The Gender Difference Between Rumination and Reflection

Gender difference between Rumination and Reflection

Abstract

This study examined the gender differences between rumination and reflection. Undergraduate

psychology students (251 women with the mean age 22.08 and 94 men with the mean age 22.64)

were each given a questionnaire to fill out as part of their course requirement. The aim of the

study was to examine if there were differences in coping styles between men and women. The

hypothesis women would use rumination more as a coping strategy and that men would use

reflection more often. The results supported the hypothesis that women tend to use rumination

more so than men. Contrary to expectations that men would use reflection more it was concluded

that there was no mean differences between men and women on the reflection scale.

The prevalence of rumination in both men and women have been an important predictor for

extended periods of depression (Nolen-Hoeksema and Jackson 2001). According to 'Strass,

Muday, McNall, and Wong, (1987, 1990, 1997 as cited in Nolen-Hoeksema & Jackson, 2001 ) ' it

would appear that women suffer from a major depressive episode at approximately twice the rate

of men. An explanation offered by 'Strass et al.,( 1987, 1990, 1997 as cited in Nolen-Hoeksema &

Jackson, 2001) ', is that men will more often use distraction ( eg. Reflection) on average than

women, although according to studies conducted by Nolen-Hoeksema and Jackson, women tend to

use rumination more often.
.

Response Style Theory ( RST) propose that women are more prone to rumination when in a

depressed mood, and that men will more often use reflection in response to their depressed moods

(Nolen-Hoeksema, Larson & Greyson 1999). It has been proposed by 'Kuehner & Webber., (1987,

1990,1991 as cited in Nolen-Hoeksema et al., 1999) ' that RST has two main emotion focused

coping

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