Strong verbal skills may lead to more overthinking, research suggests
High verbal intelligence is linked to increased patterns of worry and rumination, according to a study published in Personality and Individual Differences.
People with high verbal intelligence may be more prone to repetitive thinking, according to a report by the Times of India. While the ability to use words effectively helps in understanding situations, it can also provide more material for mental worries.
A 2015 study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences examined 126 undergraduate students. Researchers Alexander M. Penney, Victoria C.
Miedema, and Dwight Mazmanian found that verbal intelligence served as a predictor for both rumination and worry.
The study indicated that verbal intelligence was associated with these repetitive thought patterns even after accounting for other factors. However, the researchers noted the study focused on a small group of university students and did not prove a universal connection.
Psychological processes like worry and rumination differ in focus. Worry typically looks toward future possibilities, while rumination involves repeatedly examining past events or feelings.
Psychologist Kyle Davies noted in a 2026 article that mental rehearsal can help people prepare for situations. He suggested that reflection becomes unhelpful when it fails to lead toward an action or new information.
To manage this, experts suggest that putting concerns into clear words or writing them down can help separate facts from assumptions and bring the mind back to the present.