Negative Affect and Problematic Binge-Watching: The Mediating Role of Unconstructive Ruminative Thinking Style

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Abstract

The practice of binge-watching (i.e., watching multiple episodes of TV series in one session) has become increasingly prevalent, but comprehending its nature and potential underlying factors has been challenging. In particular, problematic binge-watching remains ill-defined and conceptualized, being regarded either as an addictive behaviour or a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy. Following a process-based approach, in the current study we explored the latter conceptualization, by investigating the potential mediating role of an unconstructive ruminative thinking style between negative affect and problematic binge-watching. To this end, TV series viewers completed an online survey assessing socio-demographic variables, TV series viewing habits, binge-watching motives and engagement, ruminative thinking styles and affect. Based on their answers, participants were allocated to one of the following three groups: non-binge-watchers (n = 59), trouble-free binge-watchers (n = 85), or problematic binge-watchers (n = 162). Group comparisons and mediation analyses were conducted to explore the underlying role of unconstructive rumination in problematic binge-watching. Results showed that, apart from the pattern of TV series watching, trouble-free binge-watchers shared little to no similarity with problematic binge-watchers, therefore supporting the need to differentiate these two behaviours. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that an unconstructive ruminative thinking style partially mediated the relationship between negative affect and coping/escapism and that it fully accounted for the relationship between negative affect and binge-watching derived positive emotions in problematic binge-watchers. These findings thus add to the notion that problematic binge-watching might serve as a way to bolster a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy, implying that unconstructive rumination acts as a mediating process in this context.

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Most cited references 57

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Rethinking Rumination.

Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Blair E Wisco, Sonja Lyubomirsky (2008)

The response styles theory (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991) was proposed to explain the insidious relationship between rumination and depression. We review the aspects of the response styles theory that have been well-supported, including evidence that rumination exacerbates depression, enhances negative thinking, impairs problem solving, interferes with instrumental behavior, and erodes social support. Next, we address contradictory and new findings. Specifically, rumination appears to more consistently predict the onset of depression rather than the duration, but rumination interacts with negative cognitive styles to predict the duration of depressive symptoms. Contrary to original predictions, the use of positive distractions has not consistently been correlated with lower levels of depressive symptoms in correlational studies, although dozens of experimental studies show positive distractions relieve depressed mood. Further, evidence now suggests that rumination is associated with psychopathologies in addition to depression, including anxiety, binge eating, binge drinking, and self-harm. We discuss the relationships between rumination and worry and between rumination and other coping or emotion-regulation strategies. Finally, we highlight recent research on the distinction between rumination and more adaptive forms of self-reflection, on basic cognitive deficits or biases in rumination, on its neural and genetic correlates, and on possible interventions to combat rumination.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Maèva Flayelle:

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2941-6926

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Psychol Belg

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Psychol Belg

Journal ID (issn): 2054-670X

Title: Psychologica Belgica

Publisher: Ubiquity Press

ISSN (Print): 0033-2879

ISSN (Electronic): 2054-670X

Publication date (Electronic, pub): 30 September 2022

Publication date Collection: 2022

Volume: 62

Issue: 1

Pages: 272-285

Affiliations

[1 ]Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

[2 ]Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvainla-Neuve, Belgium

[3 ]Institute for Health and Behaviour, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Author notes

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Maèva Flayelle Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Geopolis, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland maeva.flayelle@ 123456unil.ch

Author information

Pauline Billaux https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6955-3672

Joël Billieux https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7388-6194

Pierre Maurage https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0197-0810

Maèva Flayelle https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2941-6926

Article

DOI: 10.5334/pb.1163

PMC ID: 9524295

PubMed ID: 36246519

SO-VID: c49c2110-e94b-472d-9310-083984e6b81b

License:

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

Date received : 28 April 2022

Date accepted : 25 August 2022

Funding

Funded by: Belgian Fund for Scientific Research, doi open-funder-registry10.13039/open_funder_registry10.13039/501100002661;

Negative Affect and Problematic Binge-Watching: The Mediating Role of Unconstructive Ruminative Thinking Style

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Most cited references 57

Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales.

SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models

Rethinking Rumination.

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