Inhibitory effects of thought substitution in the think/no-think task: evidence from independent cues

del Prete, Francesco; Hanczakowski, Maciej; Bajo, Maria Teresa; Mazzoni, Giuliana

Abstract

When people try not to think about a certain item, they can accomplish this goal by using a thought substitution strategy and think about something else. Research conducted with the think/no-think (TNT) paradigm indicates that such strategy leads subsequently to forgetting the information participants tried not to think about. The present study pursued two goals. First, it investigated the mechanism of forgetting due to thought substitution, contrasting the hypothesis by which forgetting is due to blocking caused by substitutes with the hypothesis that forgetting is due to inhibition (using an independent cue methodology). Second, a boundary condition for forgetting due to thought substitution was examined by creating conditions under which the generation of appropriate substitutes would be impaired. In two experiments, participants completed a TNT task under thought substitution instructions in which either words or pseudo-words were used as original cues and memory was assessed with original and independent cues. The results revealed forgetting in both original and independent cue tests, supporting the inhibitory account of thought substitution, but only when cues were words, and not when they were non-words, pointing to the ineffectiveness of a thought substitution strategy when original cues lack semantic content.

Citation

del Prete, F., Hanczakowski, M., Bajo, M. T., & Mazzoni, G. (2015). Inhibitory effects of thought substitution in the think/no-think task: evidence from independent cues. Memory, 23(4), 507-517. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2014.907429

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 17, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Apr 23, 2014
• Publication Date: May 19, 2015
• Deposit Date: Apr 23, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 23, 2015
• Journal: Memory
• Print ISSN: 0965-8211
• Electronic ISSN: 1464-0686
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 507-517
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2014.907429
• Keywords: Thought substitution, Suppression, Inhibition
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/372972
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09658211.2014.907429#abstract
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=pmem20
• Contract Date: Apr 23, 2015