Repetitive Negative Thinking in Daily Life: Temporal Dynamics and Transdiagnostic Associations with Mental Health Across Adulthood

Shanshan Ma; Ashley Kuelz; Eric S Andrews; Matthew D. Grilli; David Sbarra; Jessica R. Andrews-Hanna

doi:10.31234/osf.io/evj9q_v1

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Repetitive Negative Thinking in Daily Life: Temporal Dynamics and Transdiagnostic Associations with Mental Health Across Adulthood

Shanshan Ma; Ashley Kuelz; Eric S Andrews; Matthew D. Grilli; David Sbarra; Jessica R. Andrews-Hanna

Año: 2026
DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/evj9q_v1 (se abre en una pestaña nueva)
Licencia: CC BY

Resumen ADIPA

Elaborado con IA a partir del resumen de los autores

Investigación empírica que evalúa sistemáticamente la estructura y validez psicométrica de la evaluación ecológica momentánea (EMA) del pensamiento repetitivo negativo (PRN) en adultos de 18 a 100 años. Un total de 4,826 participantes completaron encuestas por smartphone sobre pensamientos y estado de ánimo momentáneos. El análisis factorial multinivel identificó una estructura de dos factores intrapersonales y uno interpersonal, replicada en una muestra independiente. El factor intrapersonal 1 capturó una dimensión de PRN caracterizada por contenido negativo, falta de intencionalidad, desconexión de tareas, enfoque atencional en los pensamientos y abstracción. Se demostró validez convergente mediante asociaciones con PRN de rasgo y asociaciones temporales cruzadas con estado de ánimo momentáneo, y validez de criterio mediante asociaciones con malestar psicológico general, depresión, ansiedad y soledad. Mayor variabilidad e inestabilidad en PRN se asociaron con peor salud mental. La edad mostró un efecto protector, con menor PRN en adultos mayores, mediando parcialmente la asociación entre edad y resultados de salud mental.

Puntos clave

El pensamiento repetitivo negativo evaluado mediante EMA muestra una estructura de dos factores intrapersonales y uno interpersonal replicable en muestras grandes y diversas en edad.
La variabilidad e inestabilidad temporal del pensamiento repetitivo negativo momentáneo, no solo sus niveles basales, predice peor salud mental incluyendo depresión, ansiedad y soledad.
El pensamiento repetitivo negativo en la vida diaria disminuye significativamente con la edad, lo que explica parcialmente por qué los adultos mayores reportan menor malestar psicológico.

Para quién: Estudiantes e investigadores en psicología clínica y cognitiva interesados en procesos transdiagnósticos, así como clínicos que buscan entender la dinámica diaria del pensamiento rumiativo en adultos de diferentes edades.

Resumen de los autores

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic process implicated in a wide range of psychological disorders. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) provides a valuable approach to capture the temporal dynamics of RNT in daily life, while minimizing retrospective biases and reliance on metacognitive beliefs. However, EMA-based assessments of RNT have not yet been systematically evaluated in large, age-diverse samples, limiting our understanding of their latent structure, construct validity, temporal dynamics, lifespan variation, and associations with mental health. To address these gaps, 4,826 adults aged 18–100 years completed EMA surveys of momentary thoughts and mood via smartphone. Using a split-half approach, multilevel exploratory factor analysis identified a 2-within/1-between factor structure, which was subsequently replicated in an independent confirmatory sample. Across both samples, the within-person factor 1 (WF1)—reflecting momentary thought characterized by more negative content, greater unintentionality, increased task-unrelatedness, heightened attentional focus on thoughts, and greater abstractness—captured an RNT-related dimension of momentary thought. This was evidenced by convergent validity through associations with trait RNT and cross-lagged temporal associations with momentary mood, as well as criterion-related validity through associations with mental health indicators, including general psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Analyses of dynamic parameters further indicated that greater variability and instability in WF1 scores were associated with poorer mental health. Higher age was associated with lower levels of EMA-based RNT-related thought, and RNT-related thought statistically accounted for a portion of the cross-sectional association between age and mental health outcomes. Together, these findings support the psychometric validity of an EMA-based assessment of RNT-related momentary thought and highlight systematic age differences in RNT-related experiences in daily life.

Áreas y palabras clave

Salud mental pública y comunitaria repetitive negative thinking ecological momentary assessment temporal dynamics construct validity mental health age differences

Cómo citar (APA 7)

Ma, S., Kuelz, A., Andrews, E. S., Grilli, M. D., Sbarra, D., & Andrews-Hanna, J. R. (2026). Repetitive Negative Thinking in Daily Life: Temporal Dynamics and Transdiagnostic Associations with Mental Health Across Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/evj9q_v1

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Repetitive Negative Thinking in Daily Life: Temporal Dynamics and Transdiagnostic Associations with Mental Health Across Adulthood

Resumen ADIPA

Puntos clave

Resumen de los autores

Áreas y palabras clave

Cómo citar (APA 7)

Repetitive Negative Thinking in Daily Life: Temporal Dynamics and Transdiagnostic Associations with Mental Health Across Adulthood

Resumen ADIPA

Puntos clave

Resumen de los autores

Áreas y palabras clave

Cómo citar (APA 7)

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