A reciprocal relationship between repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and negative affect (NA) has been found in various types of psychopathology. Recent studies have suggested that the magnitude of this association can vary across time and individuals, which may inform future psychopathology. Here, we explored how these dynamics and interplays are manifested in student and general populations using a statistical clustering algorithm. Across three experience-sampling data sets, our clustering analyses consistently identified two groups of individuals; one group had a higher bidirectional association between RNT and NA (and also higher inertia) than the other group. Furthermore, a prospective analysis revealed that the group with the higher bidirectional association is at risk of developing depressive symptoms during the 3-month follow-up period if they had experienced high levels of NA over the experience-sampling phase. These findings suggest that the dysfunctional affective and cognitive dynamics would be a promising target of preventive intervention.

在各种类型的精神病理学中都发现了重复性负面思维（RNT）与负面情感（NA）之间的对等关系。最近的研究表明，这种关联的程度会随时间和个体的不同而变化，这可能会为将来的心理病理学提供参考。在这里，我们探讨了如何使用统计聚类算法在学生和普通人群中体现这些动态和相互作用。在三个经验抽样数据集中，我们的聚类分析一致地确定了两组个人。一组比另一组在RNT和NA之间具有更高的双向关联（并且还具有更高的惯性）。此外，一项前瞻性分析显示，如果双向双向关联性较高的组在经验采样阶段经历了较高的NA水平，则他们有可能在3个月的随访期内出现抑郁症状。这些发现表明，功能障碍的情感和认知动力学将是预防性干预的有希望的目标。