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The Effects of Target Valence on Thought Suppression Efficacy, PURE Insights Volume 3 Article 11 2014 The ffecE ts of Target Valence on Thought Suppression Efficacy Tesalee K. Sensibaugh Western Oregon University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/pure Part of the Cognitive Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Sensibaugh, Tesalee K. (2014) "The Effects of Target Valence on Thought Suppression Efficacy," PURE Insights: Vol. 3 , Article 11. Available at: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/pure/vol3/iss1/11 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Digital Commons@WOU. It has been accepted for inclusion in PURE Insights by an authorized editor of Digital Commons@WOU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The ffecE ts of Target Valence on Thought Suppression Efficacy Abstract Thought suppression is a mental control strategy used in attempt to suppress unwanted thoughts. Unfortunately, it often causes a paradoxical increase in the frequency of such thoughts, both immediately (as an ‘initial enhancement effect’) and after thought suppression efforts have been ended (‘ironic rebound effect’). Research surrounding the role played by the valence of the relevant material on thought suppression efficacy has been limited. Despite this limitation, the current paper proposes to review the available thought suppression-valence literature and, from it, determine the role played by target valence on thought suppression efficacy and other suppression outcomes. Considered overall, the extant literature appears to suggest that target valence is not a major determinant of thought suppression outcomes, although further research is needed to confirm this theory. Keywords Thought suppression, valence, mental control strategies This article is available in PURE Insights: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/pure/vol3/iss1/11 A publication of the Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences at Western Oregon University The Effects of Target Valence on Thought Suppression Efficacy Tesalee K. Sensibaugh Western Oregon University Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Joel Alexander Thought suppression is a mental control strategy used in attempt to suppress unwanted thoughts. Unfortunately, it often causes a paradoxical increase in the frequency of such thoughts, both immediately (as an ‘initial enhancement effect’) and after thought suppression efforts have been ended (‘ironic rebound effect’). Research surrounding the role played by the valence of the relevant material on thought suppression efficacy has been limited. Despite this limitation, the current paper proposes to review the available thought suppression-valence literature and, from it, determine the role played by target valence on thought suppression efficacy and other suppression outcomes. Considered overall, the extant literature appears to suggest that target valence is not a major determinant of thought suppression outcomes, although further research is needed to confirm this theory. Keywords: Thought suppression, valence, mental control strategies Thought suppression—the act of attempting not to exclusive to clinical populations. Research has repeatedly think about a given topic (the thought suppression linked use of thought suppression to increased feelings of target)—is a commonly used mental control strategy depression, anxiety, and general distress (Borton, employed in attempt to suppress unwanted thoughts. Markowitz, & Dieterich, 2005; Kelly & Kahn, 1994; Marcks Unfortunately, it tends to be not only ineffective, but & Woods, 2005), negative thought processing biases counterproductive, leading to paradoxical increases in the (Beevers & Meyer, 2008), disruptions in immune function frequency of the target thought(s), which occur both (Petrie, Booth, & Pennebaker, 1998), and decreases in immediately, as ‘initial enhancement effects,’ and after state and long-term self-esteem (Borton, 2002; Borton & thought suppression efforts have been ended, as ‘ironic Casey, 2006; Borton et al, 2005) in both clinical and non- rebound effects’ (Wegner, Schneider, Carter III & White, clinical samples. 1987). For example, if a woman made a conscious effort While many studies have investigated the effects of not to think about a recent romantic break-up of hers, she thought suppression, the factors that affect thought would likely end up thinking about said break-up more, suppression itself have received relatively little research both while she tried to avoid thoughts related to the break- attention. The role played by the valence (perceived up (initial enhancement effect) and after she had stopped positivity versus negativity) of the relevant material on trying not to think about the break-up (ironic rebound suppression efficacy has been particularly neglected in this effect). regard. A handful of related studies (e.g., McNally & Although it may seem to be an innocuous (albeit Ricciardi, 1996; Roemer & Borkovec, 1994; Muris, ineffective) mental control strategy, thought suppression Merckelbach, van den Hout, & de Jong, 1992) have been has been linked to a wide variety of negative outcomes. conducted, but have yielded mixed results, leaving the Specifically, thought suppression appears to play a large effects of valence unclear. Additionally, these studies have role in the etiology and maintenance of many had a number of major design flaws that compromise the psychological conditions, especially those characterized by validity of their results, as will be discussed in later depression and/or anxiety (Iijima & Tanno, 2012). It is sections. Despite these problems, the current paper possible, for instance, that depressive rumination is intends to integrate the results of past suppression- facilitated by the ironic rebound effects that result from valence research into a model of thought suppression (the depressed individuals’ tendency to suppress negative Input/Output Model of Thought Suppression) that accounts thoughts (Erskine, Kvavilashvili, & Kornbrot, 2007; Lucian, for the disparate findings. In particular, the current paper 2009). The tendency to suppress unwanted thoughts has used the existing literature to explain how target valence also been found to be predictive of self-injury and, more influences thought suppression efficacy, which is alarmingly, suicide attempts (Cukrowicz, Ekblad, described in terms of initial enhancement and ironic Cheavens, Rosenthal, & Lynch, 2008; Najmi, Wegner, & rebound effects. Nock, 2007). Notably, the damaging effects are not digitalcommons.wou.edu/pure 2014 ! © !Sensibaugh | Effects of Target Valence on Thought Suppression Efficacy Early Research Influence of Target Valence Although many earlier studies had investigated topics A small handful of the studies released in the late- related to thought suppression (e.g., repression), thought 1980’s through mid-1990’s wave of thought suppression suppression itself received minimal research attention prior research investigated the effects of target valence—the to Wegner and colleagues’ (1987) initial ‘white bear’ study. perceived positivity versus negativity of the given thought In the now-classic study, participants were randomly suppression topic—on suppression outcomes (e.g., Howell assigned to either initially express (try to think about) or & Conway, 1992; Kelly& Kahn, 1994; McNally & Ricciardi, initially suppress (try not to think about) thoughts of a white 1996; Muris et al., 1992; Roemer & Borkovec, 1994). bear. Participants then completed the other (expression or However, since the mid-1990’s the literature has largely suppression) task. While performing these tasks, focused on the negative effects of thought suppression participants were to continuously verbalize their streams- and suppression’s role in various psychological disorders of-thought (which were tape recorded) and ring a bell any (e.g., Magee, Harden, & Teachman, 2012; Najmi & time that they thought about a white bear. Frequency of Wegner, 2008). Consequently, very few studies since the target thoughts were measured for each task period by initial wave have focused directly on the influence of target adding the number of times that the participant rang the valence on thought suppression efficacy. This is in spite of bell with the number of times the participant mentioned the fact that the role played by target valence is not well white bears without ringing the bell. It was found that understood. The studies that have been conducted have participants in both conditions were unsuccessful at produced mixed and often conflicting results, despite suppressing white bear thoughts (suggesting an initial generally sharing the same basic methodological design enhancement effect of thought suppression). Further, (adapted from Wegner et al., 1987). A sample of such Wegner et al. (1987) observed that in the initial studies is described below and summarized in Table 1. suppression group, the number of reported target thoughts The most common finding in the literature appears to increased significantly in the expression condition be that target valence does not influence the number of (suggesting an ironic rebound effect). Conspicuously, more suppression failures. This finding is perhaps most directly target thoughts were reported in the post-suppression supported by researchers McNally and Ricciardi (1996), expression condition than in the initial expression who found no significant differences in numbers of condition. suppression failures between emotional and neutral target Wegner et al.’s (1987) study sparked a wave
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