Emotional information processing in repressors: the vigilance-avoidance theory.
Abstract
A vigilance–avoidance theory of the repressive coping style (low trait anxiety and high defensiveness) is presented. The new theory attempts to account for several key findings, including the discrepancy between low self-reported anxiety and high behavioural and physiological indicators of anxiety shown by individuals with a repressive coping style. According to the theory, repressors have an initial rapid vigilant response triggering behavioural and physiological responses and involving attentional and interpretive biases to self-relevant threat stimuli. These biases may be based on negative self-relevant schematic information. This initial vigilant stage is followed by an avoidance stage involving avoidant cognitive biases (attentional, interpretive, and memory) that inhibit the conscious experience of anxiety. Future research should examine systematically the time course of repressors’ reactions to threatening and non-threatening stimuli.
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Automatic inhibition is generated by unwanted information, leading to shrinking back from exploration of threatening cognitive contents.
“and by unwanted information, leading to shrinking back from exploration of threatening cognitive contents (Derakshan et al., 2007)”
From Impulsive action: emotional impulses and their control (2014) · cites this paper as Derakshan et al., 2007
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- Authors
- Derakshan, N., Eysenck, M. W., & Myers, L. B.
- Affiliations
- Birkbeck, University of London (GB)
- Royal Holloway University of London (GB)
- Brunel University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Derakshan, Nazanin
- ORCID
- Eysenck, Michael W.
- Venue
- Cognition & Emotion
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2007-12
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1585-1614
- ISSN
- 0269-9931 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-0600
- OpenAlex
- W2076786795
- Cited by
- 167
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 11.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cognition & Emotion (publishedVersion)
- BIROn (Birkbeck, University of London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- trait anxiety, defensiveness, attentional bias, interpretation bias, memory bias, emotional processing
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