title: Fanning old flames: emotional and cognitive effects of suppressing thoughts of a past relationship.
abstract: Cognitive and electrodermal effects of suppressing thoughts of an old flame were examined in 2 experiments. Participants were asked to think aloud about an old flame--a past close relationship that either was or was not still desired--as their skin conductance level (SCL) was measured. Participants continued to think aloud as they were instructed either not to think about their old flame or to perform a comparison task. Participants were then asked to think about the old flame again. Participants who had suppressed thoughts of a no-longer-desired relationship were inclined to think aloud more about it afterward whereas those who suppressed thoughts of a still-desired relationship did not show such a rebound but evidenced increased SCL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 22903, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wegner
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Gold
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male