Personality and social memory: High source and destination memory in extroverts.

Abstract

We evaluated relationship between personality and memory for social interactions. More specifically, we investigated the relationship between extraversion and the ability to remember who told us some information (i.e., source memory) and the ability to remember to whom we told that information (i.e., destination memory). On a source memory task, participants received information from pictures of celebrities; a subsequent recognition test required them to identify the celebrities from whom they had received that information. On a destination memory task, participants were invited to tell information to celebrities; a later recognition task instructed them to identify the celebrity to whom they had previously told that information. Besides the assessment of source and destination memory, participants answered a questionnaire regarding extraversion. Results demonstrated significant positive correlation between extraversion and source memory, as well as significant positive correlation between extraversion and destination memory. In other words, the more participants described themselves as extraverts, the higher their source and destination memory. During social communications (e.g., in a conversation), extraverts may demonstrate high source and destination memory as these individuals typically value social communication, public sharing, and processing of social information.