Repressive coping, trait anxiety and reported avoidance of negative thoughts

This study used the Thought Control Questionnaire to investigate whether individuals with different coping styles report using different strategies to suppress negative thoughts. Repressors (high defensiveness-low trait anxiety) who exhibit an avoidant (repressive) coping style, reported using significantly more distraction strategies and significantly fewer punishment strategies than all control groups: low anxious (low defensiveness-low trait anxiety), high anxious (low defensiveness-high trait anxiety) and defensive high anxious (high defensiveness-high trait anxiety). High anxious participants reported using more worry strategies than all other groups. These results are discussed in terms of previous research in this area.