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Related Experiment Videos

Effects of thought suppression on episodic memory

E Rassin1, H Merckelbach, P Muris

  • 1Department of Psychology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.

Behaviour Research and Therapy
|February 12, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Thought suppression did not impair memory recall. Interestingly, individuals instructed to suppress thoughts about a film reported more thoughts, contrary to previous findings.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Memory Studies

Background:

  • The phenomenon of thought suppression and its impact on memory is a key area in cognitive psychology.
  • Previous research suggested that suppressing thoughts about an event might impair chronological memory recall.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of intentional thought suppression on memory recall after a delay.
  • To examine whether thought suppression undermines memory for chronological details, as proposed by Wegner et al. (1996).

Main Methods:

  • Participants viewed a short film.
  • One group was instructed to suppress thoughts about the film (suppression group, n=26), while a control group received no instructions (n=24).
  • Memory recall was assessed via questionnaire after a 5-hour interval.

Main Results:

  • Subjects in the suppression group reported a higher frequency of thoughts about the film compared to the control group.
  • No evidence was found to support the claim that thought suppression negatively impacts memory for chronological order.

Conclusions:

  • Intentional thought suppression does not appear to impair memory for chronological details.
  • Discrepancies with prior research may stem from differences in experimental design or the emotional impact of stimulus materials.

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