Habitual thinking may underpin a heightened disposition to engage in rumination in response to negative mood, a widely held notion that has rarely been directly tested. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether rumination is associated with habitual attributes and whether it is related to an imbalance in habit relative to goal-directed behavior control. University students (N=115) completed self-report questionnaires, a rumination induction paradigm and an outcome devaluation task that measures habitual vs goal-directed behavior control. Greater habitual characteristics of negative thinking (e.g., automaticity, lack of conscious awareness, control, and intent) were associated with ruminative brooding but not ruminative reflection and predicted more persistent dysphoric mood following rumination induction. Rumination was not, however, consistently associated with an imbalance in habit versus goal-directed behavior control. These findings indicate that depression vulnerability may be in the form of rumination being habitually triggered (without awareness or intent) with deleterious effects on mood. Although habitual, rumination may not be related to an imbalance in habit relative to goal-directed behavior control. These findings provide support for current theoretical accounts of rumination and set important boundary conditions in the search for specific factors that contribute to rumination as a habit.

习惯性思维可能会增强应对负面情绪时反省的倾向，这是一个广为接受的观念，很少被直接检验。本研究的目的是调查反刍是否与习惯属性有关，以及它是否与习惯相对于目标导向的行为控制不平衡有关。N（115）位大学生完成了自我报告调查问卷，一个反省归纳范例和一个衡量习惯性与目标导向性行为控制的结果贬值任务。消极思维的较大习惯特征（例如，自动性，缺乏意识，控制能力和意图）与反刍思考有关，但与反刍思考无关，并且预言了在反刍诱导后会出现更持久的烦躁情绪。反省不是 但是，与习惯失衡和目标导向的行为控制失衡相关。这些发现表明，抑郁易感性可能是以反刍的形式被习惯性触发的（无意识或无意识的），对情绪造成有害影响。尽管是习惯性的，但反省可能与相对于目标导向的行为控制的习惯不平衡无关。这些发现为当前的反刍理论提供了支持，并在寻找有助于反刍习惯的特定因素时设定了重要的边界条件。尽管是习惯性的，但反省可能与相对于目标导向的行为控制的习惯不平衡无关。这些发现为当前的反刍理论提供了支持，并在寻找有助于反刍习惯的特定因素时设定了重要的边界条件。尽管是习惯性的，但反省可能与相对于目标导向的行为控制的习惯不平衡无关。这些发现为当前的反刍理论提供了支持，并在寻找有助于反刍习惯的特定因素时设定了重要的边界条件。