Suppression-induced hyperaccessibility of thoughts in abstinent alcoholics: a preliminary investigation.
Abstinent alcoholics were compared to a non-alcoholic control group on a modified Stroop color-naming task. Alcoholics took significantly longer to name the color of the word "alcohol" than to name the color of non-alcohol words (i.e., they showed an interference effect) after they had first tried to suppress thoughts of alcohol. Alcoholics who had freely expressed thoughts about alcohol prior to the Stroop did not show such interference. Control participants who had suppressed thoughts of alcohol showed no interference effect. The results overall suggest that when alcoholics try to suppress thoughts of alcohol, these thoughts may become hyperaccessible immediately afterward.
Klein
Audrey A
AA
Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA. aklein12572@yahoo.com
D000328:Adult; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D003116:Color; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D011930:Reaction Time; D012094:Repression, Psychology; D013695:Temperance / Q000523:psychology*; D014936:Word Association Tests