Motivated Forgetting

Motivated forgetting suggests we sometimes forget because we want to. Suppression is a conscious effort to push a memory away, while repression is unconscious. For example, you might forget an embarrassing moment because it threatens your self-image. However, the idea of repression is debated, so treat it with caution.

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Motivated forgetting refers to the idea that we forget some memories because they are unpleasant or threatening. It can be conscious (suppression) or unconscious (repression).

Example: Forgetting an Embarrassing Moment

You might 'forget' an embarrassing event from a party. This could be suppression if you deliberately push it away, or repression if it happens automatically to protect your self-esteem.

Controversy

Repression is a controversial concept; some researchers question whether memories can be truly repressed and later recovered.