Recognition Memory for Self-Relevant Personality-Trait Words

Abstract

Two studies based on a signal detection model of recognition memory are presented. Both studies investigated detection and response bias in the recognition of personality-trait words with respect to their relation to the self. Study 1 employed a yes-no task in which participants were to recognize trait adjectives. Study 2 employed a rating task in which participants declared their confidence with respect to whether a noun or an adjective had been presented. After the recognition task, participants selected personality-trait words that described them and ones that described other people. The results indicated a stronger tendency to say “old” for self-descriptive than for non-self-descriptive adjectives and nouns. Study 2 suggested that self-descriptive nouns are better detected than non-self-descriptive nouns.