The usefulness of the thought suppression paradigm in explaining impulsivity and aggression

This study investigated (1) the usefulness of the thought suppression paradigm in understanding impulsivity and aggression and (2) the relation between intrusions, suppression and other control strategies on the one hand, and psychopathology on the other. Ninety undergraduate students filled in the White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI), the Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), five traits from the Eysenck Personality Profiler (EPP), and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS). No relationship between intrusion and suppression, and impulsivity was found. However, significant correlations between intrusion and aggression were found. Intrusion, suppression, self-punishment, and psychopathology were all correlated positively. Implications of these findings for the dynamics between intrusion, thought control, and aggression are discussed.