Plain English Meaning
Pushing unwanted thoughts or feelings out of mind. Repression happens without you knowing it. Suppression is when you choose to put something out of mind on purpose.
Full Definition
Two related defense mechanisms in which a person pushes uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or memories out of conscious awareness. Repression is unconscious — the mind blocks the material automatically, without the person realizing it. Suppression is conscious — the person deliberately decides not to think about something. Both can affect a student pilot's learning, performance, and willingness to confront difficulties in training.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight instruction when a student avoids discussing a mistake, fear, poor performance, or confusing event after a lesson.
Derivation
Both come from Latin: 'repress' from 'reprimere' (to press ) and 'suppress' from 'supprimere' (to press down). The shared idea is pressing something below the — out of view. Repression presses it down so deep the person no longer sees it; suppression presses it down deliberately, with awareness.