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First published online January 30, 2012

Self, Memory, and the Self-Reference Effect: An Examination of Conceptual and Methodological Issues

Stanley B. KleinView all authors and affiliations

Volume 16, Issue 3

https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868311434214

Abstract

The author argues that the self is a multifaceted entity that does not easily submit to clear and precise description. The aspect of self studied by most investigators is actually a subset of the cognitive and neural underpinnings of “self” and not the “self” of first-person subjectivity. The author then looks at the dominant theoretical treatment of human long-term memory—the systems approach—and examines how the construct of “self” is situated in this framework. Finally, he reviews the best-known paradigm for exploring the role of self in memory—the self-reference effect (SRE) manipulation. He argues that there is not one SRE but rather a family of related SREs that are influenced by a variety of variables and contexts. Accordingly, researchers must exercise caution when attempting to draw conclusions about the self from the results of SRE memory performance.

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Personality and Social Psychology Review

Volume 16, Issue 3

Pages: 283 - 300

Article first published online: January 30, 2012

Issue published: August 2012

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© 2012 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

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PubMed: 22291045

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Stanley B. Klein

University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

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Stanley B. Klein, University of California, 551 Ucen Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA Email: [email protected]

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