Repression : Levinger & Clark (1961)

Aims: Test Freud's "repression" hypothesis that uncomfortable memories are suppressed

Procedure: Ps asked to give free associations to neutral words and negative emotionally charged words, and the time taken to respond was measured. Ps recall then tested using neutral/negative words as cues to recall their associations

Findings: In free association, the time taken to react to negative words was greater than for neutral words. Ps also were less successful in recalling negative associations subsequently.

Conclusion: Freud was right: we do repress uncomfortable memories

Strength: Provides experimental support for Freud's theory

Weakness 1: Lacks mundane realism: emotionally charged words have much lower emotional threat than real-life anxiety provoking stimuli.

Weakness 2: As shown by Eysenck & Wilson (1973), the affects seen by L+C may have been due to arousal: high levels of arousal (caused by negatively charged words) inhibit recall at the time, whereas when E+W tested their Ps after a delay, the effect observed by L+C was reversed.


Study sheets index