Ruminative Responses Scale
RRSA 22-item measure of ruminative responses to depressed mood; a refined 10-item version separates maladaptive brooding from more neutral reflection.
Ready-to-cite methods sentence
Reliability & validation
Subscales
Response anchors
Almost never · Sometimes · Often · Almost always
Known limitations
The original 22-item total overlaps with depression item content, which inflates its association with depression; the refined brooding and reflection subscales are only five items each.
Original citation
Treynor, W., Gonzalez, R., Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2003). Rumination reconsidered: A psychometric analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 27(3), 247-259.
https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023910315561Questions researchers ask
What does the RRS measure?
A 22-item measure of ruminative responses to depressed mood; a refined 10-item version separates maladaptive brooding from more neutral reflection.
How many items does the RRS have?
The Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) has 22 items across 2 subscales: Brooding, Reflection.
Is the RRS free to use?
The RRS is free to use for non-commercial academic research. You don't need to pay a license fee, but you should always cite the original publication.
Is the RRS reliable?
Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.72–0.77. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.
Who developed the RRS, and how do I cite it?
Treynor, W., Gonzalez, R., Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2003). Rumination reconsidered: A psychometric analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 27(3), 247-259. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023910315561
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Library entry verified July 2026. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.