Effects of intentional suppression of recall of unwanted images in repressors and nonrepressors

Keywords:
repressor, intentional memory suppression, suppression of visual image recall, think/no-think paradigm
Abstract

We investigated the ability to suppress recall of visual images, using the think/no-think (TNT) paradigm. Participants were 27 male undergraduates (13 repressors, 14 nonrepressors) who watched video clips of a motorbike accident as we recorded their galvanic skin response (GSR). We then conducted the TNT paradigm using motorbike accident images. Both repressors and nonrepressors recorded higher GSR when watching the video clips than at baseline. Both groups showed greater suppression of imaginary memories in the no-think condition than they did in either the think or the baseline conditions. We found repeated attempts at no-think might be an effective strategy for suppressing imaginary memories and that there were no differences in the ability of repressors and nonrepressors to suppress memory in the imaginary memory condition.

Author Biographies
  1. Deok-Yong Kim, Chung-Ang University
    Department of Psychology
  2. Dong Hoon Oh, Hanyang University
    College of Medicine and Institute of Mental Health
  3. Seok Hyeon Kim, Hanyang University
    College of Medicine and Institute of Mental Health
  4. Kwee-Bo Sim, Chung-Ang University
    School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
  5. Jang-Han Lee, Chung-Ang University
    Department of Psychology
References
Downloads
Published
2012-12-05
Section
Articles
License

Author(s) agree that copyright of an article published in SBP Journal is transferred from the author(s) to the journal publisher (Scientific Journal Publishers Limited) upon publication.

Disclaimer

Social Behavior and Personality maintains an open editorial policy and may or may not endorse the conclusions made in its published articles. Neither the journal nor its publisher, editors or staff assume any responsibility for any material considered to be offensive or defamatory, or for obtaining any copyright permissions necessary for publication of articles.