Reconceptualizing Co-Rumination: A Novel Theoretical and Multidisciplinary Perspective

Co-rumination is a social emotion regulation strategy characterized by extensive and exhaustive discussions of stressors and negative emotions with another person. While research establishing the costs and benefits associated with co-rumination was formative, the narrow focus on explaining heightened internalizing symptoms and increased relationship quality (i.e., the “trade-off hypothesis”) in mostly adolescents has precluded important advancements. Through a social psychological lens, we pave a way forward by offering a new theoretical conceptualization with which to view co-rumination that emphasizes the need to 1) explicitly consider the dyadic or social nature of co-rumination, 2) examine the heterogeneous content of co-ruminative discussions that extends beyond individual-level stressors, 3) directly assess the goals of co-ruminative conversations, and 4) consider with whom people co-ruminate. We then connect this theory of co-rumination to influential theories and concepts across psychological subdisciplines to show how this conceptualization of co-rumination can be further advanced when studied through a multidisciplinary perspective. This novel theoretical conceptualization and multidisciplinary application advances beyond the trade-off hypothesis by calling on researchers to consider the nuances of co-rumination across diverse populations and contexts. Re-orienting co-rumination as such may prove fruitful to better understand difficult and upsetting conversations with close others, ultimately improving recommendations for how individuals seek and provide support through challenging times.