ABSTRACT
When people experience negative events, they often try to understand and explain their feelings (Mor & Winquist, 2002; Wilson & Gilbert, 2008). In some cases, their efforts are productive. People reflect on their negative experiences, come up with a narrative that helps explain why they felt the way they did, and feel better as a result. In other cases, however, these efforts backfire, leading people to ruminate and feel worse. Juxtaposing these findings raises the question: What factors determine whether people’s attempts to reflect on and analyze their feelings are successful?
