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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

Suppression-induced forgetting on a free-association test.

Paula T Hertel¹, Daniel Large, Ellen D Stück

¹Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA. phertel@trinity.edu

Memory (Hove, England)

|January 24, 2012

Summary

Suppressing unwanted thoughts, even with substitutes, can lead to forgetting them later. This memory effect, known as the retrieval-induced forgetting of thoughts, impacts recall.

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Last Updated: May 25, 2026

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Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Memory Research

Background:

The retrieval-induced forgetting effect demonstrates that actively suppressing thoughts can lead to forgetting.
Previous research focused on cued recall tests, limiting understanding of naturalistic forgetting scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of thought suppression on memory recall using homograph cues and free association.
To explore whether thought substitutes during suppression influence forgetting of specific meanings.

Main Methods:

Participants learned cue-target pairs with imagery instructions.
A think/no-think phase involved suppressing thoughts related to homograph cues, with or without meaning-altering substitutes.
A free association test assessed recall of suppressed targets and related meanings.

Main Results:

Participants showed below-baseline forgetting for suppressed targets in free association.
Aided suppression also led to forgetting of the target-related meaning of homograph cues.
This suggests suppression impacts memory beyond direct recall of the suppressed thought.

Conclusions:

Thought suppression, even when aided by substitutes, can induce forgetting.
The findings highlight the ecological validity of studying forgetting in naturalistic contexts.
This research contributes to understanding memory control and unwanted thought management.