'When suppression backfires': the ironic effects of suppressing eating-related thoughts.
Based on Wegner's Ironic Processing Theory, this study examines the effects of suppressing eating-related thoughts in a sample of 77 female students. A distinction was made between disinhibited restrainers (high dietary restraint/high disinhibition), inhibited restrainers (high dietary restraint/low disinhibition) and low restrainers. Results indicate that disinhibited restrainers used thought suppression more often and were the only group to show a rebound effect for eating-related thoughts after suppression. No effects of suppression on willingness and desire to eat emerged. Hence, thought suppression may be counterproductive at least for a subgroup of restrainers and may fuel eating-related preoccupations. More research is required to evaluate effects on eating behaviour.
Soetens
Barbara
B
Department of Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Barbara.Soetens@UGent.be
Braet
Caroline
C
Dejonckheere
Peter
P
Roets
Arne
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001288:Attention; D001364:Awareness; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology; D004435:Eating; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D033182:Intention; D009042:Motivation; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011594:Psychometrics; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D013850:Thinking