Suppression style: Paradoxical effects on thought suppression

Abstract

Research on the paradoxical effect of thought suppression has suggested that suppressing a thought enhances intrusions of related thoughts, an effect that is more salient when intention to suppress is stronger. The present study examined paradoxical effects of suppression style on thought suppression. It was predicted that individuals with an active suppression style (shutting the thought completely out of their mind) would have a higher suppression intention and experience more paradoxical effect, whereas individuals with a passive suppression style (fending off the thought when it comes to mind) would have a lower suppression intention and experience relatively less paradoxical effect. Participants in the research were college students. In Experiment 1, participants (49 men, 38 women ; average age 20.41) were instructed to suppress a neutral stimulus after an active or passive suppression style was induced. In Experiment 2, participants (59 men, 31 women ; average age 20.24) were divided into active or passive suppression style groups, depending on their score on a chronic suppression style scale, and were instructed to identify and suppress one personal concern. The results from both experiments support the notion that active suppressors experience more paradoxical effects, compared to passive suppressors. Furthermore, in the strategic suppression group, in which participants were told to use the strategy of replacement thoughts during the suppression period, paradoxical effects did not emerge, regardless of suppression style.