واکاوی فرایندهای ذهنی مرتبط با نشخوار فکری پس از تعارض بین‌فردی

رامین کمالیان; دریا شفیعیان

Authors

Ramin Kamalian Department of Family Counseling, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran Author
Darya Shafieian Department of Clinical Psychology, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.

Keywords:

Rumination, interpersonal conflict, repetitive negative thinking, emotion regulation, thematic analysis, interpersonal relationships

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the mental processes associated with rumination following interpersonal conflict among adults living in Tehran. This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. The participants were 20 adults aged 23 to 42 years living in Tehran who reported recurrent experiences of interpersonal conflict followed by persistent post-conflict mental preoccupation. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling with maximum variation in gender, age, marital status, and educational level. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached; saturation occurred in the eighteenth interview, and two additional interviews were conducted to confirm data adequacy. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo software. Data analysis followed the main phases of thematic analysis: familiarization with the data, initial coding, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the final report. Four main categories were extracted from the data: “mental replay of conflict and reconstruction of unfinished dialogue,” “threat-based evaluation of the self and the relationship,” “emotional dysregulation and the search for certainty,” and “the cycle of mental revenge, avoidance, and cognitive exhaustion.” Participants described post-conflict rumination not as a simple recollection of an event, but as an active, repetitive, and emotionally charged process in which the mind repeatedly reviews the conflict scene, interprets the other person’s intention, engages in self-blame or other-blame, anticipates relational consequences, and searches for a definitive explanation or response. The findings indicated that rumination after interpersonal conflict emerges from the interaction of threat-based appraisals, intolerance of ambiguity, difficulty in emotion regulation, and negative representations of the self and others. This process may move individuals away from constructive problem-solving and contribute to the maintenance of anger, shame, relational anxiety, and interpersonal avoidance. Interventions based on self-distancing, emotion regulation, mindfulness, and cognitive restructuring may help reduce this maladaptive mental cycle.

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