The Self-Reference Effect on Memory in Early Childhood

1
University of Aberdeen
The Self-Reference Effect on Memory in Early
Childhood Sheila J. Cunningham and David J. Turk
University of Aberdeen, Scotland

• INTRODUCTION
• The self-reference effect (SRE) is the memory
  advantage for information
• encoded with reference to self (Symons
  Johnston, 1997).
• It is argued that young children do not show
  the SRE, because it relies on a rich
• self-construct to elaborate incoming
  self-relevant information (e.g., Halpin et al.,
• 1984 Pullyblank et al., 1985).
• However, research to date has used a paradigm
  requiring abstract trait
• evaluation, which is unsuitable for young
  children. Childrens early self-
• processing biases may therefore be
  underestimated.
• For the current study, we designed a concrete
  evaluation task that allowed children to apply
  their stored knowledge at encoding.

RESULTS Fig. 1 Recognition
memory (untransformed data)

• Recognition data were transformed into A scores.
• ANOVA revealed a significant SRE, with
• better memory for self-cued than other-cued
• items (F(1,50) 20.1, p lt .001).
• Total memory increased with age (F(2,50)
  16.8,
• p lt .001), and there was a significant Age
  x
• Referent interaction (F(2,50) 4.3, p
  .019).
• Paired-samples t-tests confirmed an SRE in all
• age groups (4yrs t(17) 3.4, p .004
  5yrs t(18)
• 2. 5, p .022 6yrs t(18) 2.3, p
  .034).
• However, regression analysis showed that
• the SRE was predicted by age in months (ß
• -0.42, p .007). Receptive vocabulary,
  self-esteem
• and self-consciousness did not predict the
  SRE.

• METHOD
• 53 four to six year-old children evaluated
  concrete objects against a referent.
• (17 four yrs (M 55.7 mths), 18 five yrs (M
  65.3 mths), 18 six yrs (M 76.7 mths))
• Referent-cues (ps own or anothers face) were
  presented with objects.
• There were two repeated-measures conditions
• 
  Self do you really like this
  object?
• Other would
  Andrew really like this object?
• 
  
• Children responded by pressing the happy or
  neutral face button (96 trials).
• Recognition memory for the objects was then
  assessed (96 Old, 48 New items).
• Additional measures receptive vocabulary,
  self-esteem, self-consciousness

• DISCUSSION
• These results show that the SRE on memory can
  be found in early childhood.
• This finding mirrors the SRE in adult
  cognition, suggesting that encoding information
  with
• reference to self can enhance memory across
  the lifespan, given age-appropriate tasks.
• The SRE did not increase with development.
  Indeed, there was a tendency for the SRE to
• decrease with age (perhaps reflecting ceiling
  effects), and verbal ability and self-concept
• development did not predict the SRE
  magnitude.
• This lack of developmental increase argues
  against the idea that the SRE is driven by the
• application of self-knowledge (which
  increases with age).
• Rather, automatic responses to self-cues
  (such as increased attention, affect, and
  priority
• binding) may underlie the effect.

References Halpin, J. A., Puff, C. R., Mason, H.
F., Marston, S. P. (1984). Self-reference
encoding and incidental recall by children.
Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 22, 87-89.
Pullyblank, J., Bisanz, J., Scott, C.,
Champion, M. A. (1985). Developmental invariance
in the effects of functional self-knowledge on
memory. Child Development, 56, 1447-1454.
Symons, C.S., Johnson, B.T. (1997).The
self-reference effect in memory A meta-analysis.
Psychological Bulletin, 121, 371-394.


Contact sheila.cunningham_at_abdn.ac.uk