The ironic effect of thought suppression is most likely to occur when a person is:
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. 2020 May;15(3):778-793. doi: 10.1177/1745691619898795. Epub 2020 Apr 14. Affiliations
Free article Meta-Analysis Ironic Effects of Thought Suppression: A Meta-AnalysisDeming Adam Wang et al. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2020 May. Free article AbstractThe ironic effect of thought suppression refers to the phenomenon in which individuals trying to rid their mind of a target thought ironically experience greater levels of occurrence and accessibility of the thought compared with individuals who deliberately concentrate on the thought (Wegner, 1994, doi:10.1037/0033-295X.101.1.34). Ironic effects occurring after thought suppression, also known as rebound effects, were consistently detected by previous meta-analyses. However, ironic effects that occur during thought suppression, also known as immediate enhancement effects, were found to be largely absent. In this meta-analysis, we test Wegner's original proposition that detection of immediate enhancement effects depends on the cognitive load experienced by individuals when enacting thought suppression. Given that thought suppression is an effortful cognitive process, we propose that the introduction of additional cognitive load would compete for the allocation of existing cognitive resources and impair capacity for thought suppression. Studies (k = 31) consistent with Wegner's original thought-suppression paradigm were analyzed. Consistent with our predictions, rebound effects were observed regardless of cognitive load, whereas immediate enhancement effects were observed only in the presence of cognitive load. We discuss implications in light of ironic-process theory and suggest future thought-suppression research. Keywords: cognitive load; immediate enhancement effect; ironic effect; rebound effect; thought suppression. Similar articles
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What is thought suppression in psychology?Thought suppression is a psychological defence mechanism. It is a type of motivated forgetting in which an individual consciously attempts to stop thinking about a particular thought. It is often associated with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).
What happens when you suppress thoughts?Indeed, because of the frequent intrusiveness of formally suppressed thoughts, suppression has been implicated in the potential maintenance and causes of a wide variety of mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression (Erskine et al., 2007; Purdon, ...
What is meant by ironic effects?Wegner (1994) coined the term 'ironic effect' to describe the uncontrollable preoccupation with a 'to-be-supressed' thought that individuals experience during and after thought suppression.
What is the rebound effect of thought suppression?The rebound effect is characterized by the higher levels of post-suppression resurgence and accessibility of the target thought experienced by individuals engaged in thought suppression relative to individuals who did not suppress the target thought in the first place.
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