Extension of the Repression-Sensitization Hypothesis to Success and Failure Experience
Byrne's (1961) R-S scale was administered to 244 university students. Those scoring in the 75th percentile or above were designated sensitizers; those in the 25th percentile and below, repressers. Forty Ss were selected from each of these two groups and were further sub-divided to form success and failure conditions. Ss then received a success or failure experience followed by a tachistoscopic task where eight critical words (words associated with the tests) and eight neutral words (words not associated) were presented. The following hypotheses were supported. (a) Repressers had higher thresholds than sensitizers for critical words under the failure condition. (b) There was no significant difference between repressers' and sensitizers' thresholds under the success condition. (c) Thresholds to neutral words, although following the same trend as critical words in the four groups, did not differ significantly for repressers and sensitizers under either the success or failure condition.