Self-reference in memory: Recognition of personality items

The hypothesis that the “self” concept is active in memory was tested in a series of recognition experiments involving first- and third-person sentences under several instructional conditions. The results confirmed the hypothesis and indicated a degree of sentence specificity for the effect. These results were interpreted as congruent with the notion that the “self” can be seen as a cognitive structure with both a memory component as well as an involvement in the evaluation and processing of incoming materials.