1. Mean Comparisons Between Latent Classes
Do People Ruminate Differently? A Latent Profile Analysis of Rumination Facets Across College Students
Matilyn R. Stocks1, Logan B. Morris1, Hannah C. Hammrick1, Adrian J. Bravo1, & James M. Henson1
1Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University
Measures
Research Questions
Participants participated in our study by taking an online survey comprised of:
General Inventory of Lasting Leadership (Ruppercht, Waldrop, & Grawitch, 2013)
Modified so participants were asked the degree to which they agreed with statements about their personal religious leader (i.e., my religious leader…)
In line with Spiritual Leadership Theory, assessed three subcomponents of leadership: inspiration, shared values and vision and mission
Life Engagement Test (Scheier, 2006)
Assessed purpose in life
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression-Revised Scale (CESD-R; Eaton, Smith, Ybarra, Muntaner, & Tien, 2004)
Assessed participants’ depressive symptoms
Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ; Meyer, Miller, Metzger, & Borkovec, 1990)
Assessed participants’ anxiety symptoms
Results
Class Solutions:
Using the Lo-Mendell-Rubin Likelihood Ratio Test, we found that a four-class solution fit optimally with distinct profiles (see figure)
When comparing the 4-class solution to a latent trait model (i.e., one latent factor of rumination), the AIC and BIC are lower for the 4-class solution than the latent trait model; suggesting that a 4-class model fits significantly better than a single latent trait model
Equality of Means:
Every group significantly differed from each other on both depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms.
The “high ruminators” group (Class 4) reporting the highest levels and the “low ruminators” (Class 1) group reporting the lowest levels
The “average ruminators” (Class 2) was significantly better (i.e., lower depressive and anxiety symptoms) than the “counter-repetitive ruminators” group (Class 3) on these outcomes, but significantly worse than the “low ruminators” group
We did not find any significant differences across the groups on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems
The central research question focused on religiosity and its role as a moderator on the association between depressive symptoms and alcohol related problems
Background
Recent research of the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire suggests there are four distinct subcomponents of rumination: problem focused, repetitive thoughts, counterfactual thinking, and anticipatory thoughts. Variable-centered analyses are dominant within the ruminative-health literature focusing on unique associations between a single facet of rumination and its outcomes. Variable-centered analyses may suggest limitations that rumination facets are not mutually exculsive of each other.
Hypothesis
When when controlling for alcohol consumption, individuals who were high in intrinsic religiosity would have a weaker relationship between depressive symptoms and alcohol related problems high in intrinsic religiosity would have a weaker relationship between depressive symptoms and alcohol related problems
When controlling for alcohol consumption, individuals who were high in quest religiosity would have a stronger relationship between depressive symptoms and alcohol-related problems
Latent Profiles
Conclusions
Participants and Procedure
Meaning Systems Framework posits that purpose in life is a protective factor against poor mental health
Findings were consistent with Meaning Systems Framework, adding support to the impact that purpose in life has as a protective factor against depressive and anxiety symptoms
Spiritual Leadership Theory posits that strong spiritual leadership results in an increase in spiritual well-being, which in turn leads to positive psychological well-being (Fry et al., 2011)
Findings were consistent with Spiritual Leadership Theory suggesting that religious leaders play an important role in the mental heath of Christian college students, due to the fact that religious leadership may have a significant impact on Christian college students’ purpose in life, which may lead to improved psychological health outcomes
Implications
This preliminary study suggests religious leadership as a construct that may enhance purpose in life among Christian college students
An increase in purpose in life is of great importance for religious college students who do face religious struggles throughout their college experience which may lead to poor mental health (Stoppa & Lefkowitz, 2010; Hill & Pargament, 2008; Steger et al., 2010)
Limitation
Cross-sectional test of mediation prevents the demonstration of temporal precedence, which is required to make causal inferences
Future Research
Future intervention studies may focus on increasing purpose in life among religious college students
For example, mindfulness has been shown to increase purpose in life among clinical, community, and college populations (Shapiro et al., 2006; Carmody et al., 2009; Pearson et al., 2014)
Students were recruited through the SONA Experiment Management system at Old Dominion University.
Students were granted research credit for their participation
403 Christian undergraduate students
Student age: years old, M =21.47 years old
Student Gender: Male (n = 104), Female (n = 297)
Student Race/ethnicity: White, non Hispanic (n = 180), Black/African American (n = 169), Latina/o (n = 17), Other/Mixed (n = 37)
Student Christian Denomination: Catholic (n = 71), Baptist (n = 173), Methodist (n = 25), Churches of Christ (n = 5), Pentecostal/Charismatic (n = 32), Assemblies of God (n = 2), Presbyterian (n = 16), Other (n = 79)
Mean Comparisons Between Latent Classes
Note. Means sharing a subscript in a row indicate means that are not significantly different from each other
Poster presented at the 28th Annual Convention for the Association of Psychological Science, Chicago, IL.