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The attitudinal consequences of thought suppression: A focus on thinness thoughts
Author(s) -
Tong Eddie M. W.,
Ang MeiSan,
Chua Alvin S. Y.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8309.2011.02042.x
Subject(s) - psychology , social psychology , thought suppression , positive attitude , developmental psychology , cognition , neuroscience
Four studies examined whether thought suppression could enhance attitude accessibility and whether behaviours that are consistent with the more accessible attitudes would follow. Thinness was examined as the attitude object. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that suppression of positive thoughts about thinness increased the accessibility of the positive attitudes associated with thinness. Experiments 3 and 4 showed that suppression of positive thinness thoughts also elicited more health‐promoting behaviours. The implications of the findings for attitude accessibility and the practical consequences of thought suppression are discussed.