Current Psychology, vol.43, no.1, pp.609-617, 2024 (SSCI)
The purpose of the current study is to examine the relationship of ruminative thought styles with Gestalt contact disturbances and unfinished business. The study employed the relational survey model. The study group is comprised of a total of 219 university students; 159 females (72.6%) and 60 males (27.4%), continuing their undergraduate education in the 2021–2022 academic year. The data of the study were collected by using the Gestalt Contact Disturbances Scale, the Unfinished Business Scale and the Ruminative Thought Style Scale. The findings obtained from the analyses revealed that all the variables together predicted the ruminative thought styles of the university students at a statistically significant level and the established regression model was found to be significant. It was found that the ruminative thought styles of the university students were significantly and positively predicted by the contact sub-dimension of Gestalt contact disturbances and significantly and negatively predicted by the post-contact sub-dimension of Gestalt contact disturbances. In addition, it was determined that the living in the past and unexpressed thoughts and feelings sub-dimensions of unfinished business were found to be positive and significant predictors of ruminative thought styles. Contrary to these findings, the full contact and dependent contact sub-dimensions of Gestalt contact disturbances and the procrastination, regret about abilities, attachment to objects, need for acceptance and approval, being subject to injustice, regret about conditions, transference and dreams and negative emotion load sub-dimensions of unfinished business were found to not statistically significantly predict the ruminative thought styles of the university students. As a result, it was determined that the Gestalt contact disturbances and unfinished business of the university students significantly predicted their ruminative thoughts and various suggestions were listed in light of the relevant literature.