in a classic study in cognitive psychology, participants told not to think of white bears actually reported more thoughts about white bears than did controls exposed to pictures of white bears but not given the instruction. these results, when extrapolated to coping style, suggest that: group of answer choices people may find it difficult to successfully cope using repressive strategies. secondary appraisal modulates the effectiveness of exposure-based coping. exposure-based coping is more effective than is reframing. people are more likely to utilize repressive coping than they are rational coping.