Mediational Role of Rumination and Reflection on Irrational Beliefs and Distress

Background
The cognitive restructuring of maladaptive beliefs within many cognitive-behavioural psychotherapies typically encourage the client to undertake self-reflection. However, whilst self-consciousness can aid self-regulation, it is also implicated in a broad range of psychopathology. The extent to which self-consciousness is associated with psychological distress is yet to be fully determined, however, recent literature suggests that irrational beliefs, as proposed within rational emotive behavior theory (REBT) may play an important role.
Aims
The aim of the study was to test the mediational effects of self-consciousness, specifically reflection and rumination, on the relationship between irrational beliefs and psychological distress. Based on past research, it was hypnotized that reflection and rumination would mediate the positive relationship between irrational beliefs and psychological distress. We expected irrational beliefs to interact with rumination to positively predict psychological distress, and irrational beliefs to interact with reflection to negatively predict psychological distress.
Method
The present research tested a structural equation model (SEM) in which rumination and reflection mediated the relationship between irrational beliefs and psychological distress.
Results
Results indicated that rumination mediates the positive relationship between irrational beliefs and psychological distress. However, in contrast to our hypotheses, significant mediation did not emerge for reflection.
Conclusion
This study is the first to show how irrational beliefs and rumination interact to predict psychopathology using advanced statistical techniques. However, future research is needed to determine whether similar mediational effects are evident with rational beliefs as opposed to irrational beliefs.