Thought suppression ironically increases the accessibility of unwanted thoughts

Evidence

When individuals confront evidence indicating they may not be the type of people they want to be, they might attempt to suppress thoughts of that evidence. But research by Wegner and colleagues (e.g., Wegner, 1992) indicates that actively trying to keep a thought out of awareness can backfire; suppression of a thought can ironically increase the accessibility of that thought. The frequency with which unwanted thoughts are activated causes them to become chronically accessible (Higgins, 1989) and to therefore dominate people’s perceptions of others, resulting in projection. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2355 (#expands, via linked claim)

More recently, though, projection has been reconceptualized in socialcognitive terms, and perhaps not coincidentally, is enjoying a revival of interest. Newman, Duff, and Baumeister (1997) formulated and tested a model of defensive projection in which the tendency to overperceive one’s own undesired traits in others is a byproduct of another defense: thought suppression. When individuals confront evidence indicating they may not be the type of people they want to be, they might attempt to suppress thoughts of that evidence. But research by Wegner and colleagues (e.g., Wegner, 1992) indicates that actively trying to keep a thought out of awareness can backfire; suppression of a thought can ironically increase the accessibility of that thought. The frequency with which unwanted thoughts are activated causes them to become chronically accessible (Higgins, 1989) and to therefore dominate people’s perceptions of others, resulting in projection. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2355 (#expands, via linked claim)

This was the only path still open, in Adorno’s view, since Husserl’s philosophy proved that, if the mediatedness of subject and object was not recognized, then, instead of the things themselves' and the living fulfilment of subjects, only the projections of a self-absolutizing consciousness would appear. For the same reason, Husserl's drafts for an ontology were untenable projections of a subject that was absolutizing itself, and was thus alienated both from itself and from the world. — <cite>Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 562</cite> (#complicates`, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Suppressing unwanted thoughts ironically increases their accessibility and causes projection onto others. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2355; Thought suppression ironically makes unwanted traits dominate one’s perceptions of others — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 2355; Projection results from failed thought suppression rather than actual possession of traits — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2355 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Suppressing unwanted thoughts ironically increases their accessibility and causes projection onto others. #expands (0.95) — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2355
• Thought suppression ironically makes unwanted traits dominate one’s perceptions of others #expands (0.93) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2355
• Denying the mediatedness of subject and object produces self-absolutizing consciousness #complicates (0.74) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 562