Shifting away from negative inferences affects rumination and mood.

In three studies, we examined the effect of shifting from a negative to a positive inference for a negative personal event, on mood, state rumination, and next-day inferences, and assessed whether trait brooding moderates these effects. Participants described a personal event and made two inferences for it. Studies 1 and 2 showed that instructing participants to shift from a negative to a positive inference, improved mood and decreased state rumination, compared to a no-shift condition.