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MENTAL MODEL · M11140

White Bear Effect / Ironic Process Theory

White Bear Effect / Ironic Process Theory
Learn & MetacognitionHigh supportCognitive Psychology
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Updated 2026-08-13

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

Ironic process theory, developed by Daniel Wegner, holds that attempting to suppress a thought requires a monitoring process that checks whether the thought has appeared, and that this monitoring keeps the thought accessible. The classic demonstration asked participants not to think of a white bear, which increased its intrusiveness. The qualification is that the rebound is strongest under mental load and for emotionally charged material, so suppression is least effective exactly when it is most wanted.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

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Reduce cognitive load

- Suppression check: notice when you are trying to force a thought out of your mind. - Substitution move: replace the suppressed thought with a genuinely engaging alternative task. - Acceptance stance: let the thought pass without treating its presence as a failure.

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Suppression requires monitoring for the forbidden thought, and monitoring requires representing that thought in memory, which keeps it accessible and therefore more likely to surface. The very mechanism that detects a lapse keeps the content available. Under cognitive load the monitoring becomes less controlled and the thought intrudes more often, which is why suppression intensifies rather than removes it.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ironic_process_theoryZH · Explicit
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