Co‐rumination via cellphone moderates the association of perceived interpersonal stress and psychosocial well‐being in emerging adults
Abstract
Adolescents' and emerging adults' social interactions increasingly revolve around cellphone use, but little research has investigated the psychological properties of cellphone interactions. The current study explored co‐rumination via cellphone; that is, the use of cellphone functions to excessively communicate about problems or negative feelings. Face‐to‐face co‐rumination and co‐rumination via cellphone were examined as potential moderators of the association between perceived interpersonal stress and psychosocial well‐being (i.e., positive mental health and social burnout) in a sample of 142 college students. Face‐to‐face co‐rumination was not a moderator. However, co‐rumination via cellphone was a significant moderator such that higher levels of perceived interpersonal stress were associated with lower levels of well‐being only among college students who reported higher levels of co‐rumination via cellphone. Co‐rumination via cellphone should be further investigated to elucidate its developmental trajectory and mental health correlates.
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In a college student study, Murdock et al. (2015) found that cell phone co-rumination moderated the link between interpersonal stress and well-being, with higher stress linked to lower well-being only among those who co-ruminated via cell phone.
“Furthermore, in one study of college students, Murdock et al. (2015) found that co-rumination taking place via cell phone (i.e., through calls, text messages, and other social media) moderated the association between perceived interpersonal stress and well-being, such that higher levels of stress were associated with decreased well-being only among those who engaged in rumination via cell phone.”
From Transformation of Adolescent Peer Relations in the Social Media Context: Part 1—A Theoretical Framework and Application to Dyadic Peer Relationships (2018) · cites this paper as Murdock et al. 2015
Face-to-face co-rumination did not moderate the stress-well-being association.
“Interestingly, co-rumination conducted face to face did not moderate the association between stress and well-being.”
From Transformation of Adolescent Peer Relations in the Social Media Context: Part 1—A Theoretical Framework and Application to Dyadic Peer Relationships (2018) · cites this paper as Murdock et al. 2015
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- Authors
- Murdock, K. K., Gorman, S., & Robbins, M.
- Affiliations
- Washington and Lee University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Murdock, Karla Klein
- ORCID
- Murdock, Karla Klein
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescence
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2014-11-19
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 27-37
- ISSN
- 0140-1971 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9254
- OpenAlex
- W1984108285
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 9.74
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescence (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Washington and Lee University
- Commercializations Promotion Agency for R and D Outcomes
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health via Writing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- co-rumination, interpersonal stress, psychosocial well-being, positive mental health, emerging adults, university students, face-to-face communication, moderation, social media addiction
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Psychology, Adolescent, Attention, Communication, Female, Humans, Male, Personal Satisfaction, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Disclosure, Stress, Psychological, Cell Phone, Young Adult
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