THE COGNITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF SECRECY

Four research paradigms explored links from secrecy to the suppression and intrusive recurrence of secret thoughts. In Study 1, keeping a wo rd secret enhanced cognitive accessibility of the word on a Stroop col or-naming task. Study 2 revealed that secret memory topics were recall ed earlier than topics about which a lie or the truth was told. Study 3 showed that when participants were keeping secrets, their ratings of suppression and intrusive thinking of the secret became positively co rrelated. Study 4 participants rated 50 everyday topics for intrusiven ess, suppression, and secrecy. Across topics, positive mean within-sub ject correlations were found among these variables.