[en] Positive trait information is typically better recalled than negative trait information when encoded in reference to the self, but not when encoded in reference to someone else or when processed for general meaning. This study examined whether this influence of affective meaning is modulated by retrieval conditions. Participants encoded positive and negative trait adjectives in reference to themselves or to a celebrity. They were then presented with either a free-recall task (Experiment 1) or a recognition memory task (Experiment 2). Positive adjectives were better recalled than negative adjectives, but only when they were encoded in reference to the self. In contrast, encoding condition and valence did not interact in the recognition memory task. Taken together, these findings suggest that the difference in memory between positive and negative self-referent information is due, at least in part, to a control exerted on memory retrieval.
Disciplines :
Theoretical & cognitive psychology
Author, co-author :
D'Argembeau, Arnaud ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cognitives > Psychopathologie cognitive
Comblain, Christine
Van der Linden, Martial ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cognitives > Psychopathologie cognitive
Language :
English
Title :
Affective valence and the self-reference effect: influence of retrieval conditions
Publication date :
November 2005
Journal title :
British Journal of Psychology
ISSN :
0007-1269
eISSN :
2044-8295
Publisher :
British Psychological Soc, Leicester, United Kingdom
Volume :
96
Issue :
Pt 4
Pages :
457-466
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Commentary :
The original publication is available at www.bps.org.uk
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