A golfer consciously tries not to pull his drive, but a camera goes off during his backswing and he ends up pulling his drive into the trees. This BEST illustrates:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario is a classic example of ironic processes of mental control. When we focus too much on not doing something, it can actually increase the chances of doing it. In this case, the golfer was consciously trying not to pull his drive but the camera going off during his backswing increased the likelihood of actually doing so, despite his efforts to suppress the thought.

A Golfer Consciously Tries Not to Pull His Drive, but a Camera