Suppressing thoughts about chocolate

✍ Scribed by Johnston, Lucy ;Bulik, Cynthia M. ;Anstiss, Vivienne

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 121 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0276-3478
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199907)26:1<21::aid-eat3>3.0.co;2-7

✦ Synopsis

Objective: Thought suppression frequently results in subsequent hyperaccessibility of the suppressed thoughts. This study investigated whether this effect transfers to behavior. Does suppressing thoughts result in a subsequent increase in the performance of behaviors related to those thoughts? Method: Twenty chocolate cravers and 22 noncravers were instructed to suppress chocolate-related thoughts in an articulated thoughts task or they were given no specific instructions. Participants then completed a computer-based task which yielded chocolate rewards. Results: Both cravers and noncravers could suppress chocolaterelated thoughts when instructed to do so. Both groups of participants showed greater performance, and hence earned more chocolate, in the suppression than control condition (p < .05). Discussion: Behavioral control may follow many of the same ironic pathways traced by mental control.