Motivated forgetting

Motivated forgetting is a theorized psychological behavior in which people may forget unwanted memories, either consciously or unconsciously.[1] It is an example of a defence mechanism, since these are unconscious or conscious coping techniques used to reduce anxiety arising from unacceptable or potentially harmful impulses thus it can be a defence mechanism in some ways.[2] Defence mechanisms are not to be confused with conscious coping strategies.[3]

Thought suppression is a method in which people protect themselves by blocking the recall of these anxiety-arousing memories.[4] For example, if something reminds a person of an unpleasant event, their mind may steer towards unrelated topics. This could induce forgetting without being generated by an intention to forget, making it a motivated action. There are two main classes of motivated forgetting: psychological repression is an unconscious act, while thought suppression is a conscious form of excluding thoughts and memories from awareness.

  1. ^ Weiner, B. (1968). "Motivated forgetting and the study of repression". Journal of Personality. 36 (2): 213–234. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.1968.tb01470.x. PMID 5660729.
  2. ^ Schacter, Daniel L. (2011). Psychology Second Edition. New York: Worth Publishers. pp. 482–483. ISBN 978-1-4292-3719-2.
  3. ^ Kramer U (June 2010) [30 October 2009]. "Coping and defence mechanisms: What's the difference? - Second act" (PDF). Psychol Psychother. 83 (Pt 2): 207–21. doi:10.1348/147608309X475989. PMID 19883526.
  4. ^ Weiner, B.; Reed, H. (1969). "Effects of the instructional sets to remember and to forget on short-term retention: Studies of rehearsal control and retrieval inhibition (repression)". Journal of Experimental Psychology. 79 (2, Pt.1): 226–232. doi:10.1037/h0026951.