Suppose That Elaine Has Been Instructed to Think Freely About

Multiple Choice

Suppose that Elaine has been instructed to think freely about black cats for five minutes, whereas Kathleen has been ordered not to think about black cats for five minutes. After the initial five-minute period has passed, both Elaine and Kathleen are allowed to think about black cats. According to Wegner and his coauthors, during this second time period, what is most likely to happen?

A) Both Elaine and Kathleen will spend equal amounts of time thinking about black cats.
B) Elaine will spend more time thinking about black cats than Kathleen will.
C) Kathleen will spend more time thinking about black cats than Elaine will.
D) We cannot predict which person will spend more time thinking about black cats, because ironic effects are unpredictable.