Structure and pragmatics of a self-theory of memory

Eight hundred ninety-three students completed statements from a questionnaire concerning their perceptions of their memory abilities. Twenty-nine memory domains and experiences, such as memory for smells or memory for names, were distributed across 60 statements in the questionnaire. A factor analysis yielded three meaningful factors: (1) a verbal memory factor, which included memory for names, trivia, and words; (2)a personal past memory factor, which included memory for childhood, dreams, painful experiences, and smells; and (3) an appointments factor, which included memory for appointments, personal articles, anniversaries, and so on. Factor scores from the first factor were used in two subsequent experiments: In one, factor scores correlated with performance on a trivia questionnaire; in the other, factor scores correlated with the amount of play money wagered in a twocontestant trivia quiz. Results of both studies suggested that attempts to validate the factors with behavioral measures would succeed. The framework of self-theory of memory was used in discussing the results and in suggesting directions for future inquiry.