Lecture 14 - Mental Control

Question 1

Mental control

Answer 1

• Goal pursuit: efforts to control external world
• Mental control: efforts to control internal world
• Goal pursuit often requires mental control
  e. g., don’t think about chocolate cake, going to party, playing tennis, attractive guy/girl, if you do not want to be fat, do not think about pies

Mental control is how you control or suppress thoughts

Question 2

Mental control as an ironic process

Answer 2

To suppress a thought, you have to make a plan to suppress the thought, then carry out the plan to suppress thoughts including the thoughts of the plan itself

Question 3

Rebound effects in thought suppression

Answer 3

When you suppress a thought, there is often a rebound in which you think a lot about that suppressed thought afterwards

Question 4

Paradoxical effects of thought suppression (experimental set up)

Answer 4

• Stream of consciousness task: verbalize thoughts for
  next 5 minutes
• Then, manipulate thought suppression
• “Try not to think of white bear…”
• “…ring bell every time you think or talk about white bear”
• Round 2: Then, express, “try to think of white bear” (and ring bell, etc.)
• Control cond. got rounds 1 and 2 in reverse order: express then suppress

So does it matter if you suppress then express or the other way around? I.e. does suppression lead to rebound.

Question 5

Paradoxical effects of thought suppression (results)

Answer 5

The ones made to suppress then express showed a lot more instances of thinking about the bear in the express condition vs. the express then suppress condition

AFTER 5 MINS

The effect persisted (only in the suppress/express condition)

Question 6

Why rebound effect?

Answer 6

• Attempts to distract involve thinking without focus
• Negative cueing:
• What am I doing?
• Trying not to think about the white bear
• I’ll think about light bulb…boring…
• Why am I doing this?
• Not thinking about the white bear
• Everything becomes associated (cog. linked) with
  negative cue!

SO YOU CUE YOURSELF

Why rebound effect?
* When restriction is lifted, prior negative cueing
facilitates task of thinking about white bear

Question 7

Can we attenuate the rebound effect?

Answer 7

If suppressing a thought creates negative cues, would the expression of a thought (a positive cue) eliminate this effect?

Question 8

Does suppression increase
subsequent expression of
suppressed thought?

Experiment set up

Answer 8

• Stream of consciousness task
• Manipulate:
• Express thought then suppress thought (Ctrl)
• Suppress thought then express thought (Exp-1)
• Suppress thought then express thought, but…(Exp-2)
• “if you happen to think of a white bear…think of a red Volkswagen instead

G1 Control - express/suppress
G2 Suppress/express
G3 Suppress/express/Focused Distract (red volk)

Question 9

Does suppression increase
subsequent expression of
suppressed thought?

Results

Answer 9

You see a replication of the rebound effect (in suppress/express condition)

In the suppress/express/focused distraction group you see less rebound

rebound was attenuated by the focused distraction positive cue.

Question 10

Mental control

The idea of a two step process with a monitor and an operating system

Answer 10

• Thought suppress involves two cognitive processes:
  1. “Monitor” on lookout for unwanted thought (automatic
  process)
  2. “Operating system” ready to step in with distractor, if monitor finds target (controlled process)
• Monitor watches for potential lapses
• Signals operating system if lapses occur (ALERT!)
• Operating system brings distractors to mind until one is selected
• Once selected operating system turned off
• But monitor always on lookout for signs of unwanted thought
• Monitor makes person continually sensitive to unwanted thought because it is always on the lookout

Question 11

Monitor as an ironic process

Idea

Answer 11

• Dual processes
• When capacity undermined (e.g., stress), the operating system is compromised, and thoughts being monitored no longer controlled
• Disrupting operating system should render “to-be suppressed” thoughts hyper-accessible (b/c monitor is
  always on lookout for them)

SO you should get NO operating system but a functional monitir

Question 12

Monitor as an ironic process

Experiment

Answer 12

• Stroop test
• Either while suppressing or concentrating on target
  (i. e., to be suppressed thought, “house”))
• Target (i.e., to be suppressed) word should interfere with Stroop
• Cognitive load manipulation (rehearse 9-digit #)
• H: Suppression + load = hyperaccessibility
• b/c load disrupts OS (controlled distracter search)

The operationalization of hyperaccessibility is the interference on a Stroop task as measured by reaction time (increased)

Question 13

Monitor as an ironic process

Results

Answer 13

In the high load condition, the RT increased as the operating system was suppressed due to the high load

High suppression + high load = hyperaccessibility of thoughts

Question 14

Ironic processes and real life

Answer 14

• Secrets
• If we want to keep a secret, then we try not to think
  about it (“if I think about it I may tell others”)
• Suppression leads to obsession (hyper-accessibility)
• The more I suppress, the more I obsess
• The more I obsess, the more I see the secret as
  something desirable… (it must be really good if I am going to all theis effort = increased liking)

Question 15

Secret relationships

Wegner, Lane & Dimitri, JPSP

Answer 15

• Are we more attracted to things because they’re
  secrets (suppressed)?
• Old flames: secret vs. public
• Obsessive/intrusive thoughts?
• More obsessive thoughts about secret relationships
  (more often on their minds)
• Does secret lead to greater attraction?

Question 16

Does secret lead to greater attraction? Playing Footsie

Answer 16

• Two opposite sex dyads playing a card game
• One team instructed to use their feet to communicate
• Manipulate “tip” for one dyad:
• keep your feet in contact with each other under the table throughout the game to help you communicate
• Public vs. private (secret) tip

DV
* Rate attractiveness of partner

RESULTS
* Those who played footsie in secret rated partner as more attractive than 1) those who played footsie in public and 2) those who did not play footsie

Question 17

Hot/Cold flames

Answer 17

Some old flames we do not think about, some we do.

HOT FLAMES
* “He’s just popping through my mind every 5 min, but
I’m not saying anything about him because I don’t
really feel like crying and if I keep talking about him I
might shed a tear or two.”
* “I’m thinking about her right now. I haven’t thought
about her for a week or so. . . I don’t want to be
thinking about her. . . I don’t like this feeling.”

Question 18

Is there a difference between the suppression of
neutral and emotional thoughts?

Hot/cold flame: Experimental set up

Answer 18

• Ps who a) still desired old flame or b) no longer
  desired old flame
• Then suppress:
  G1: don’t think about the flame
  G2: don’t think about the Statue of Liberty (control condition)
• Then expression: think of the flame again

DV1: Measure talking about flame in final set
DV2: emotional reactivity (with Skin Conductance)

Question 19

Is there a difference between the suppression of
neutral and emotional thoughts?

Hot/cold flame: Thoughts results

Answer 19

Whether told to suppress the hot flame, or think about the statue, in the HOT flame condition, the ptps talked about the hot flame a lot (because they were hot, emotive flames)

In the cold flame condition, there was a rebound! If to suppress the flame, the cold flame became hotter and the participants talked about them a lot

Question 20

Is there a difference between the suppression of
neutral and emotional thoughts?

Hot/cold flame: Emotional reactivity results

Answer 20

The only group with increased emotional reactivity were the HOT flame group told to suppress the flame

So suppressing this made them more emotionally reactive

Question 21

Are we able to deactivate

unwanted thoughts?

Answer 21

• Typically we are pursuing multiple goals, and often
  these goals conflict
• Tennis match vs. looming term paper

This is called an “approach-approach conflict”

• How do we stay focused?
• Learn to automatically inhibit alternative goals when
  pursuing focal goal

Question 22

“Goal shielding”
(Shah et al, JPSP)

Basic idea

Answer 22

• Identify three goals (“intelligent”) + importance
• Lexical decision task

You will be faster to ID a second word if you are primed by the first. I.e. Doctor primes for nurse

This task is used to measure the states of relationships

Question 23

“Goal shielding”
(Shah et al, JPSP)

Set up

Answer 23

• Identify three goals (“intelligent”) + importance
• Lexical decision task
• Subliminally prime:
  G1: goal
  G2: control word (“house”)
• measure RT to alternate goal words (“is this a personal attribute”?)

If you can shield one goal with another, then in the goal primed task, you will be slower to ID another goal as this goal has been suppressed

Question 24

“Goal shielding”
(Shah et al, JPSP)

Results

Answer 24

On goal primed trial, participants were slower to identify the second goal vs. the RT when primed by control

This suggests goal shieling can happen
When we become aware of 1 goal, others become less accessible and so we may stay focused on the first goal

IN a second study the expressed commitment to a goal were positively related to the inhibition.

The more committed, the greater the effect of this shielding

Question 25

Temptation and how to suppress it

Answer 25

Temptations are short term motives that interfere with long term goals The idea is when these are present people automatically activate the higher order goal to stave off temptation

Question 26

“Leading Us Not Unto Temptation” Fishbach et al, JPSP Study design

Answer 26

(1) List a goal that you feel it is your duty or obligation to work on, “something you feel you have to do” (2) List an “enjoyable activity that you ought not to do if you want to attain the goal you listed” The two will be linked so one goal, one temptation When people are confronted with a temptation, they activate the higher order goal that is threatened G1 temptation primed = people react to goal word G2 control H1 when the goal word is preceded by a temptation it should be more accessible and therefore yo will see a lower reaction time It should be ASYMMETRICAL: If the goal is first and temptation second, there will be no activation of the temptation by the goal and hence, no lower RT

Question 27

“Leading Us Not Unto Temptation” Fishbach et al, JPSP Results

Answer 27

After the temptation p[rime RTs were much lower This did not happen if the order was reversed (i.e. goal/temptation) It ONLY happens of the temptation specifically matched the goal that follows

Question 28

“Leading Us Not Unto Temptation” Fishbach et al, JPSP Study 2 (religion)

Answer 28

Pre-study: participants were asked to list religious goals relevant for them Temptations to prime these were presented These decreased RT in the way seen before

Question 29

Does temptation-goal linkage help us resist temptation? Accessibility of Diet Goal/Magazine study Prime/RT

Answer 29

Temptation cues the activation of goals. Does this help us resist the temptation? * Magazines: Shape; Chocolatier; Economic and geography G1 Diet goals primed by magazines G2 Temptation primed G3: Control goals primed * Lexical decision task targeting ‘diet’ words RESULTS: Both temptation and diet priming cut RT to diet words vs. control

Question 30

Does temptation-goal linkage help us resist temptation? Accessibility of Diet Goal/Magazine study Behavioral outcomes

Answer 30

Ptpts were told they could have a gift, an apple of a twix. There was no difference in the number of people that took either = temptation priming & resultant goal activation did not influence resistance to temptation

Question 31

Overcoming Temptation | Myrseth & Fischbach

Answer 31

Research focuses on the implementation of control strategies with the idea that not implementing a strategy is why they fail. When we face a temptation there are 2 steps (1) Conflict identification - decide that something conflicts with a goal If you do not do this, you cannot counter it (2) Conflict resolution

Question 32

Failing to ID conflict (between goal and temptation) Myrseth & Fischbach

Answer 32

* How do people perceive choice opportunities? * e.g., Single event/instance vs. single instance of many SIMILAR future events IE Is this a one off or a predictor of the future * Width: see multiple opportunities together * “I’ll have a chocolate now” vs. * “I’ll have a chocolate now, but later I’ll stay clear” * Consistency: expect to act similarly across opportunities * “I’ll have a chocolate now, but later I’ll stay clear” vs. * “If I have a chocolate now, I’ll likely have it again in the future” TASK - decide how many potato chips to eat G1 Calendar with days divided G2 calendar without days divided IV note the days on calendar DV was consumption of potato chips Less potato chips when there are no boundaries between days because it makes people realize that this is a long term thing (because they promote conflict identification)