Cynthia's psychology professor was talking today about how hard it would be not to think about purple unicorns.Though Cynthia has never once before thought about a purple unicorn,she finds that she cannot stop thinking about them now.Cynthia is experiencing _____ as a result of her attempts at _____.
A) the rebound effect; rumination
B) the rebound effect; thought suppression
C) cognitive persistence; rumination
D) cognitive persistence; thought suppression

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The term "rebound effect" refers to the phenomenon of increased occurrence of a thought or behavior after an attempt to suppress it. In this scenario, Cynthia's attempt to not think about purple unicorns has resulted in her thinking about them more, indicating the rebound effect. The term "thought suppression" refers to the deliberate attempt to stop thinking about a particular thought or topic, which is what Cynthia is trying to do. Therefore, choice B, the rebound effect; thought suppression, is the correct answer.

Cynthia's Psychology Professor Was Talking Today About How Hard It