PSYC 333 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Signify, Twix, Stroop Effect
7 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lecture'14:'Mental'Control'
(Feb'22)'
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Plan:'
I.#Mental#control#as#an#ironic#process#
A.'Mental'control':'definition'and'paradox'
B.' Study:' Paradoxical' effects' of' thought' suppression' (Wegner,' Schneider,' Carter' and'
White,'JPSP,'1987)'
C.'The'rebound'effect'
D.'Study:'Does'suppression'increase'subsequent'of'suppressed'thought?'
E.'Mental'control'
F.'Monitor'as'an'ironic'process'
G.'Hyper-accessibility'of'suppressed'thoughts'(Wegner'and'Erber,'JPSP,'1992)'
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II.#What#about#real#life?##
A.'Ironic'processes'and'real'life''
B.'Secret'relationships'(Wegner,'Lane'and'Dimitri,'JPSP,'1994)'
C.'Playing'“footsie”'(Wegner,'Lane'and'Dimitri,'JPSP,'1994)'
D.'Study:'Cold'vs'hot'flames'
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III.#Are#we#able#to#deactivate#unwanted#thoughts?##
A.'How'do'we'coordinate'(conflicting)'goal'pursuits?''
B.'Study:'“Goal'shielding”'(Shah'et'al'2002)'
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IV.#What#about#temptations?##
A.'Study:'“Leading'us'not'unto'temptation”'(Fishbach'et'al,'2003)'
B.'Study:'Goal'priming'effect'on'resisting'temptation''
C.'Overcoming'temptation'and'failing'to'identify'conflict'(Myrseth'and'Fishback,'2009)'
D.'Conclusion:'control'over'temptations''
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I.'Mental'control'as'an'ironic'process'
A.'Mental'control':'definition'and'paradox''
Goal# pursuit'can' be' defined'as'the'efforts# to# control# external# world,'while'mental#
control'can'be'defined'as'the'efforts#to#control#internal#world.''
Goal'pursuit'requires'mental'control.''
E.g.:'My'goal'is'to'lose'weight.''
I'need'to'stop'thinking'about'chocolate'cake,'cigarette,'casino,'ect.'(mental'control)'
=>#What#mechanisms#underlie#mental#control/thought#suppression?##
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For' Wegner,' mental' control' is'an' ironic' process'because' it' requires# a# state# of# both#
knowing# and# not# knowing.' When' we' try' not' to' thing' about' something,' it'requires'
having' a' specific' plan' to' suppress' the' thought.' Then' we' need' to' carry' it' on' and' to'
suppress'everything'(the'thought'and'even'the'specific'plan.)'
It'results#in#a#rebound#effect.''
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=>'Does#thought#suppression#cause#a#“rebound#effect”#that#increases#expression#of#
suppressed#thought?''
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B.' Study:' Paradoxical' effects' of' thought' suppression' (Wegner,' Schneider,' Carter' and'
White,'JPSP,'1987)'
Method:''
1.'Stream'of'consciousness'task:'verbalize'your'thoughts'for'the'next'5'minutes.''
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2.'Then,'manipulate'thought'suppression.''
-Half'of'the'participants'have'to:''
1.' Still' verbalize' your' thought' but' “Try' not' to' think' of' white' bear…”' and' “…ring' bell'
every'time'you'think'or'talk'about'white'bear”'='1rst'Suppress'
2.'Then,'“try'to'think'of'white'bear”'(and'ring'bell,'etc.)'='2nd'Express'
-Control'condition,'half'of'the'participants'are'given'the'instruction'in'reverse'order'
1.'1rst'express:''“try'to'think'of'white'bear”'(and'ring'bell'every'time'you'do'so)'
2.'2nd'supress:'“Try'not'to'think'of'white'bear…”'and'“…ring'bell'every'time'you'think'or'
talk'about'white'bear”'
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Results:''
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y'axe:'number'of'thoughts'about'the'white'bear'during'a'2'minutes'time'period.''
People'are'able'to'suppress'thoughts'about'white'bear'(supress'period).''
During'the'express'period,'there#is#the#rebound.#Suppressing#a#thought#provoked#an#
over-accessibility#of#the#thought.''
Supress'1rst'condition'makes'the'thought'hyper#accessible.''
The# act# of# the# thought# suppression# increased# the# number# of# time# they# thought#
about#it.##
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Here'we'have'the'same'data'but'it'is'another'way'to'look'at'them.''
Y'axe:'number'of'bell-ring'in'one'minute.''
X'axe:'in'the'1rst'minute,'and'then'in'the'5th'minute'of'the'express'period.''
Main' point:' Not' only' did' people' that' suppressed' and' then' expressed'see# a# rebound#
effect'but'this'rebound#effect#lasted#longer:'people'in'the'Express'2nd'condition'were'
the'only'people'after'5'minutes'that'were'still'consistently'talking'about'the'white'bear.'''
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C.'The'rebound'effect'
Why'the'rebound'effect?''
Attempts#to#distract#and#suppress#thought#involve#thinking#without#focus.#
The#rebound#effect#is#caused#by#a#negative#cueing:#
-What'am'I'doing?'
-Oh,'I'am'trying'not'to'think'about'the'white'bear'
-I’ll'think'about'something'else,'like'this'light'bulb…'but'it’s'boring…'
-Why'am'I'doing'this?'
-Oh,'I'am'doing'this'because'I'trop'not'thinking'about'the'white'bear.''
=>'Everything#becomes#associated#(cognitively#linked)#with#the#negative#cue,#that#
we#are#trying#to#suppress.##
When'restriction'is'lifted,'prior'negative'cueing'facilitates'task'of'thinking'about'white'
bear.''
Rebounds# effects# should# be# eliminated# if# given# positive# cue# to# distract# yourself#
with.##
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Document Summary
Plan: mental control as an ironic process, mental control : definition and paradox, study: paradoxical effects of thought suppression (wegner, schneider, carter and. White, jpsp, 1987: the rebound effect, study: does suppression increase subsequent of suppressed thought, mental control, monitor as an ironic process, hyper-accessibility of suppressed thoughts (wegner and erber, jpsp, 1992) What about real life: ironic processes and real life, secret relationships (wegner, lane and dimitri, jpsp, 1994, playing footsie (wegner, lane and dimitri, jpsp, 1994, study: cold vs hot flames. Are we able to deactivate unwanted thoughts: how do we coordinate (conflicting) goal pursuits, study: goal shielding (shah et al 2002) Goal pursuit can be defined as the efforts to control external world, while mental control can be defined as the efforts to control internal world. I need to stop thinking about chocolate cake, cigarette, casino, ect. (mental control)
