Differentiation of Self and Repetitive Negative Thinking: The Mediating Role of Learned Helplessness

The present study aimed to predict the mediating role of learned helplessness in the relationship between Differentiation of Self and Repetitive Negative Thinking.
To do this, 335 (164 males, 176 females) students were selected from Azad University of Lar using multistage cluster sampling method. The participants completed the Differentiation of Self Questionnaire (Drake, 2011), the Learned Helplessness Questionnaire (Quinless & Nelson, 1988), and the Repetitive Negative Thinking Questionnaire (Ehring, 2010).
The results of simultaneous multiple regression analysis based on Baron and Kenny (1989) steps indicated that Emotional Reactivity, Fusion with others, and Emotional Cut Off positively predicted Repetitive Negative Thinking and I-Position negatively predicted Repetitive Negative Thinking. In addition, Fusion with others and Emotional Cut Off predicted Learned Helplessness positively and I -Position predicted Learned Helplessness negatively. The Learned Helplessness mediated the relations between the Differentiation of Self and Repetitive Negative Thinking.
In conclusion, Emotional Reactivity predicted Repetitive Negative Thinking positively and I-Position by mediating Learned Helplessness predicted it negatively.