Psychology research suggests a common response to negative emotions is worse for you in certain countries

A new study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science reveals that repetitively thinking about negative events, known as rumination, has a more detrimental impact on daily well-being in the United States than in Japan. Rumination can be categorized into two types: trait rumination, a long-term tendency to dwell on negative thoughts, and state rumination, the act of ruminating at a particular moment in time.

While trait rumination is linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety, particularly in Western countries, the study indicates that the cultural context influences the psychological effects of rumination. In Western cultures, individuals tend to view personal traits as fixed, interpreting repetitive negative thoughts as a sign of personal failure.

Conversely, in East Asian cultures, personal traits are perceived as adaptable, and rumination might be seen as a means to learn from mistakes and improve. To examine the natural occurrence of rumination, researchers utilized an ecological momentary assessment technique, which involves sending participants frequent prompts via a smartphone app to record their immediate feelings and behaviors.

The first study involved 128 university students from Washington, D.C., and 93 students from Tokyo, Japan. The students completed baseline questionnaires and then received daily prompts asking them to rate their focus on negative experiences and their current psychological distress and well-being on a 9-point scale. The study found that while trait rumination was associated with higher depressive symptoms among American students, this association was not significant among Japanese students.

Additionally, state rumination, which refers to moment-to-moment rumination, was linked to lower well-being for all participants. However, the negative association between moment-to-moment rumination and well-being was weaker in Japan than in the United States.