🧠 Repression
Unconscious process - happens automatically without you realising it. Your mind protects you by hiding painful memories from your conscious awareness. You genuinely can't remember the event.
Motivated Forgetting » Repression and Suppression
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
- Define repression and suppression as types of motivated forgetting
- Understand the key differences between unconscious and conscious forgetting
- Explore Freud's psychoanalytic theory of repression
- Examine real-world examples and case studies
- Evaluate the strengths and limitations of repression theory
- Apply knowledge to exam-style questions
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Unlock This CourseIntroduction to Motivated Forgetting
Have you ever tried to forget something embarrassing that happened to you? Or found that you can't remember a traumatic event clearly? This is called motivated forgetting - when we forget things because our mind wants to protect us from unpleasant memories.
Motivated forgetting is different from normal forgetting. Instead of losing memories because they fade over time, we actively (or passively) push away memories that make us feel uncomfortable, anxious, or upset.
Key Definitions:
- Motivated Forgetting: The tendency to forget information that is unpleasant, disturbing, or causes psychological discomfort.
- Repression: An unconscious defence mechanism where traumatic or threatening memories are pushed out of conscious awareness.
- Suppression: A conscious effort to deliberately not think about or remember certain information.
🤔 Suppression
Conscious process - you deliberately try not to think about something. You're aware of the memory but choose to push it away. The memory is still accessible if you want to recall it.
Freud's Theory of Repression
Sigmund Freud, the famous psychoanalyst, first introduced the concept of repression in the late 1800s. He believed that repression was one of the mind's most important defence mechanisms.
How Repression Works According to Freud
Freud suggested that our mind has three parts: the conscious (what we're aware of), the preconscious (what we can easily recall) and the unconscious (hidden from awareness). When we experience something traumatic or threatening, repression pushes these memories into the unconscious mind.
🌟 Conscious Mind
Current thoughts and awareness. What you're thinking about right now.
🌞 Preconscious
Memories you can easily access when needed, like your address or phone number.
🌛 Unconscious
Hidden memories and desires. Where repressed memories are stored according to Freud.
Case Study Focus: War Veterans and PTSD
Many soldiers returning from war experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Some veterans report having gaps in their memory about traumatic combat experiences - they know something happened but can't recall specific details. This could be an example of repression protecting the mind from overwhelming trauma. However, modern research suggests this might be more complex than simple repression.
Real-World Examples
Understanding repression and suppression becomes clearer when we look at everyday examples that you might relate to:
Examples of Repression
Remember, repression is unconscious - the person doesn't realise they're doing it:
- Childhood trauma: An adult who was abused as a child might have no memory of the abuse, even though it happened
- Accident victims: Someone in a car crash might not remember the moments leading up to the accident
- Medical procedures: A patient might not remember painful medical treatments from childhood
Examples of Suppression
Suppression is conscious - the person chooses to avoid thinking about something:
- Exam stress: Deliberately not thinking about a failed exam to avoid feeling upset
- Relationship problems: Choosing not to think about an argument with a friend
- Embarrassing moments: Trying not to remember when you tripped in front of everyone at school
Research Evidence
Psychologists have conducted many studies to test whether repression really exists. The results are mixed and controversial.
✅ Supporting Evidence
Williams (1994): Studied women who had documented cases of childhood sexual abuse. 38% had no memory of the abuse when interviewed as adults, suggesting repression might occur.
Loftus & Ketcham (1994): Found that some trauma survivors do show gaps in memory that later return, supporting the idea of repression.
❌ Challenging Evidence
McNally (2003): Argued that there's little scientific evidence for repression. Memory gaps might be due to normal forgetting or the person never encoding the memory properly in the first place.
Kihlstrom (2006): Suggested that what we call 'repression' might actually be normal memory processes, not a special defence mechanism.
The Recovered Memory Debate
One of the biggest controversies in psychology involves 'recovered memories' - when people suddenly remember traumatic events from their past, often during therapy.
The Problem with Recovered Memories
Some psychologists worry that these memories might not be real. Instead, they could be false memories created by suggestion during therapy. This has led to legal cases where people have accused family members of abuse based on recovered memories that might not be accurate.
Case Study: The Satanic Panic
In the 1980s and 1990s, many people claimed to recover memories of satanic ritual abuse during therapy. Investigations found no evidence that these events actually happened. This case highlighted the dangers of assuming all recovered memories are accurate and showed how false memories can be created through suggestion.
Evaluation of Repression Theory
Like all psychological theories, repression has both strengths and weaknesses:
👍 Strengths
- Explains why some trauma survivors have memory gaps
- Provides a logical reason for motivated forgetting
- Supported by some research studies
- Helps therapists understand their clients
👎 Limitations
- Difficult to test scientifically
- Risk of creating false memories
- Limited research evidence
- Alternative explanations for memory gaps exist
Practical Applications
Understanding repression and suppression has important applications in therapy, education and daily life:
In Therapy
Therapists need to be careful when working with clients who might have repressed memories. They must balance helping clients process trauma with avoiding the creation of false memories.
In Education
Teachers should understand that students might suppress memories of negative school experiences, which could affect their learning and behaviour.
In Daily Life
Recognising when you're suppressing thoughts can help you deal with problems more effectively rather than just avoiding them.
Modern Perspective
Today, most psychologists agree that while motivated forgetting exists, it's more complex than Freud originally thought. Memory is reconstructive - we don't store perfect copies of events but rebuild memories each time we recall them. This means memories can change over time, making it difficult to distinguish between repressed memories and normal memory processes.
Exam Tips
When answering exam questions about repression and suppression, remember to:
- Clearly define both terms and explain the difference
- Use specific examples to illustrate your points
- Discuss both supporting and challenging evidence
- Consider alternative explanations for memory gaps
- Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the theory