Rumination as a Mediator between Personality and Negative Behavioral Outcomes: A Theoretical Model

Abstract

Covid-19 pandemic has been one of the most uncertain and challenging times in people’s lives. Without doubt, it has resulted in a massive shift in people’s emotional capabilities to regulate and maintain positive emotions, while also making it hard to reduce negative effects. Our paper corroborates Lazarus and Folkman’s theory of stress and coping to understand how individuals cope with stressful situations, such as the ongoing pandemic. Further, this paper argues that individuals with certain personality traits, especially low emotional stability, use rumination in the context of maladaptive coping strategies to deal with stressors. This may lead to negative interpersonal and intrapersonal behavioral outcomes that are highly detrimental to an individual’s psychological well-being. Our model provides a roadmap to future researchers to further investigate the link between personality, maladaptive coping and behavioral outcomes in unusual and unforeseeable circumstances. We also suggest mindfulness as a remedy to problematic coping strategies during times of extraordinary stress.