Why distractors with need-supportive content can mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression
Thought suppression is a self-regulatory strategy commonly used to avoid unwanted thoughts although it can ironically make unwanted thoughts more intrusive and accessible. To reduce these ironic effects, it is important to explore mechanisms underlying effective suppression. The present study recrui...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Springer Netherlands
2017
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/58290 |
| _version_ | 1848760222761353216 |
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| author | Wang, Deming Chatzisarantis, Nikos Hagger, Martin |
| author_facet | Wang, Deming Chatzisarantis, Nikos Hagger, Martin |
| author_sort | Wang, Deming |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Thought suppression is a self-regulatory strategy commonly used to avoid unwanted thoughts although it can ironically make unwanted thoughts more intrusive and accessible. To reduce these ironic effects, it is important to explore mechanisms underlying effective suppression. The present study recruited 126 undergraduate students and examined the influence of distractor content on suppression outcomes by examining perceived satisfaction and immersion of distractors as mechanisms of effective suppression. Based on self-determination theory, we proposed that distractors associated with the satisfaction of the psychological need for autonomy would mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression because they would be perceived as satisfying and immersive. Results showed that need-supportive distractors reduced intrusion frequency because they were indeed perceived as more satisfying. Our findings also point towards the unique satisfying properties of distractors involving psychological need satisfaction because effects of single, pleasant and personally relevant distractors have been controlled for. Findings are discussed using Wegner’s (Psychological Review 101:34–52, 1994) theories of thought suppression and principles of self-determination theory. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:12:21Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-58290 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:12:21Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Springer Netherlands |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-582902019-02-19T05:36:14Z Why distractors with need-supportive content can mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression Wang, Deming Chatzisarantis, Nikos Hagger, Martin Thought suppression is a self-regulatory strategy commonly used to avoid unwanted thoughts although it can ironically make unwanted thoughts more intrusive and accessible. To reduce these ironic effects, it is important to explore mechanisms underlying effective suppression. The present study recruited 126 undergraduate students and examined the influence of distractor content on suppression outcomes by examining perceived satisfaction and immersion of distractors as mechanisms of effective suppression. Based on self-determination theory, we proposed that distractors associated with the satisfaction of the psychological need for autonomy would mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression because they would be perceived as satisfying and immersive. Results showed that need-supportive distractors reduced intrusion frequency because they were indeed perceived as more satisfying. Our findings also point towards the unique satisfying properties of distractors involving psychological need satisfaction because effects of single, pleasant and personally relevant distractors have been controlled for. Findings are discussed using Wegner’s (Psychological Review 101:34–52, 1994) theories of thought suppression and principles of self-determination theory. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/58290 10.1007/s11031-017-9653-3 Springer Netherlands fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Wang, Deming Chatzisarantis, Nikos Hagger, Martin Why distractors with need-supportive content can mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression |
| title | Why distractors with need-supportive content can mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression |
| title_full | Why distractors with need-supportive content can mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression |
| title_fullStr | Why distractors with need-supportive content can mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why distractors with need-supportive content can mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression |
| title_short | Why distractors with need-supportive content can mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression |
| title_sort | why distractors with need-supportive content can mitigate ironic effects of thought suppression |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/58290 |