The Impact of Negative Self-Stereotypes on the Psychological Well-Being of Single Women in Established Adulthood: The Roles of Rumination and Mindfulness
Abstract
Single women beyond a certain age often internalize experienced stereotyping, stigmatization, and microaggressions based on their relationship status, impacting their psychological well-being. Prior research has suggested that cognitive processes, such as rumination and mindfulness, can affect the relationship between perceived stereotypes and psychological well-being, yet little is known about the single women population in this context. This study examined negative self-stereotypes, psychological well-being, rumination, and mindfulness in single women aged 30-45, using a moderated-mediation mode. A total of 357 participants completed surveys on negative self-stereotyping of being single, rumination (brooding and reflection), mindfulness, and psychological well-being. Results showed that single women with more negative self-stereotypes had lower levels of psychological well-being, and rumination partially mediated this relationship. Brooding had a relatively stronger mediating effect than reflection. Moreover, mindfulness partially moderated the mediating effect of rumination on negative self-stereotypes to psychological well-being, with a stronger effect for those with higher levels of mindfulness. This suggests that mindfulness enhances the effects of rumination rather than buffering them. The findings highlight the significance of rumination in the mental processing of self-stereotypes among single women and provide valuable insights into the role of mindfulness.
Subject Area
Clinical psychology|Psychology|Womens studies|Mental health
Recommended Citation
Shen, Yangqian, "The Impact of Negative Self-Stereotypes on the Psychological Well-Being of Single Women in Established Adulthood: The Roles of Rumination and Mindfulness" (2023). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30689460.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30689460
