Brooding Russians less distressed than Americans

Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy portrayed Russians as brooding, complicated people.

Ethnographers have confirmed that Russians tend to focus on dark feelings and memories more than westerners do.   
 

But a new University of Michigan study finds that even though Russians brood, they are less likely than Americans to feel as depressed. Their study is slated for publication in Psychological Science.  
 

"Among westerners, focusing on one's negative feelings tends to impair well-being, but among Russians, that is not the case," University of Michigan psychology researcher and study co-author Igor Grossmann said.  
 

The study was also coauthored by Ethan Kross, faculty associate at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research and assistant professor of psychology.  
 

The research is based on the outcomes of two separate studies. In one study, researchers examined the prevalence of self-reflection and depression among 85 US students and 83 Russian students.   
 

Researchers found that Russians were more likely to brood, but doing so was associated with fewer depressive symptoms than the Americans, according to a University of Michigan statement.
In the second study, 86 US and 76 Russian students were asked to recall and analyse their "deepest thoughts and feelings" about a recent unpleasant interpersonal experience.
Compared to the Americans, the Russians showed less distress after recalling the experience, and were less likely to blame the other person in their analysis of the experience.   
 

Importantly, Russians also indicated that they were more likely than Americans to spontaneously distance themselves from their experience while analysing their feelings.