On the Regulation of Recollection The Intentional Forgetting of Stereotypical Memories

• Published in: Journal of personality and social psychology Vol. 72; no. 4; pp. 709 - 719
• Main Authors: Macrae, C. Neil, Bodenhausen, Galen V, Milne, Alan B, Ford, Rachel L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-04-1997
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cognition & reasoning; Forgetting; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Human Information Storage; Intention; Learning. Memory; Long Term Memory; Memory; Perceptions; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Regulation; Self-Control; Stereotyped Attitudes; Stereotypes; Belief; Human; Forgetting; Vigilance; Attitude; Memory; Attention; Information retrieval; Stereotype; Long term; Social cognition; Information processing; Recall
• ISSN: 0022-3514; 1939-1315
• DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.72.4.709

Drawing insight from related research on thought control, 2 studies investigated the process through which social perceivers inhibit the retrieval of stereotypic information from long-term memory (i.e., intentional forgetting). Study 1 considered the attentional demands associated with the task of forgetting stereotype-congruent memories; Study 2 examined the efficacy of intentional forgetting under conditions of resource depletion. Confirming the theoretical predictions, the task of inhibiting stereotype-congruent memories made notable demands on participants' attentional resources. The findings are considered in the context of contemporary issues in mental control and stereotype function.