Can self-referential information improve directed forgetting? Evidence from a multinomial processing tree model.

Runzhou Wang,Yaowu Song,Xiaojun Zhao

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211280

Abstract

A large body of research has shown that self-referential processing can enhance an individual’s memory of information. However, there are many arguments about how self-referential processing affects directed forgetting (DF). In this study, two experiments were designed to investigate the DF effect and its internal psychological mechanism under explicit and implicit referential conditions using the item-method DF paradigm combined with the storage-retrieval MPT model. We compare the difference in the DF effect between self-referential and other-referential conditions and explain the reasons for the difference. Our results suggest that the item-method DF effect is the result of a selective rehearsal mechanism and a retrieval inhibition mechanism working together. Both self-reference and other-reference can cause DF in explicit referential processing or implicit referential processing, although the DF effect is stronger under the self-referential condition. Furthermore, the memory advantage effect of implicit self-referential processing is stronger than that of explicit self-referential processing.

Highlights

As an aspect of memory, forgetting plays a crucial role in the process of cognitive processing
Most previous studies have observed directed forgetting (DF) under a self-reference condition, while the DF effect disappears under an otherreference condition [14, 15, 17]
Based on the previously mentioned perspective of inhibition, this result can be interpreted as the self being unique in the level of consciousness of the individual so that self-related information will be encoded in more detail. (The main effect of reference was not insignificant in Experiment 1, and it seems that self-referential processing does not show a memory advantage effect; we will discuss it at the end of this article.) When receiving DF instructions, participants used some means to separate TBF items and TBR items

Summary

Introduction

As an aspect of memory, forgetting plays a crucial role in the process of cognitive processing. Directed forgetting and self-referential information that the free-recall rate of TBF/R items (M = 0.03, SE = 0.02) was significantly lower than that of the TBR/R items (M = 0.43, SE = 0.04), p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.74, in the experimental group under the self-referential condition.

Results

Conclusion