THE ROLE OF RUMINATION AS A MODERATOR IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The paper examines rumination as a key psychological factor moderating the relationship between emotional regulation and resilience to stress. Rumination is defined as a tendency towards obsessive and repetitive focus on negative experiences, past events, or one’s own emotional responses. This style of thinking, as demonstrated by numerous studies, can significantly undermine the effectiveness of emotional regulation, reduce cognitive flexibility, and hinder adaptation to stressful circumstances.
In addition, the paper considers contemporary theoretical models of resilience, which conceptualise it as a multidimensional construct encompassing cognitive, emotional, social, behavioural, and neurophysiological components. Two principal approaches to understanding resilience are explored: one viewing it as a stable personality trait, and the other as a dynamic process of recovery following exposure to stress. Particular attention is paid to the mechanisms through which rumination may increase vulnerability to stress, especially through the disruption of emotional self-regulation, maladaptive interpretation of events, and suppression of positive reappraisal.
The paper argues for the necessity of accounting for ruminative patterns in both the assessment of psychological resilience and the design of preventive and corrective interventions aimed at enhancing individuals’ adaptive potential. Promising directions for further research include the exploration of the interplay between rumination and motivational, emotional, and cognitive processes; the influence of social environments and digital tools on its regulation; and the expansion of research samples across different age, occupational, and cultural groups to improve the overall validity of findings.