Altruistic People Show No Self-Reference Effect in Memory

ABSTRACT

The self-reference effect (SRE), by which encoding of information is done in a self-referential manner (e.g., “Does the word describe you?”), enhances subsequent memory performance. It is thought to reflect that self-reference is a highly practiced task in everyday life. Accordingly, it is expected that the types of tasks that produce memory enhancement vary according to individual differences of past experiences. On the basis of neuroimaging studies, we hypothesized that social desirability reference (“Is this word socially desirable?”) produces memory enhancement as with SRE in people who have chosen altruistic behavior frequently. Participants processed trait adjectives in relation to themselves, social desirability, and meaning. Then they performed a free recall task. The self-report altruism scale was used to assess the frequency of past altruistic behavior. Consistent with our prediction, the social desirability reference yielded the best retention in the high-altruism group. SRE was observed only in the low-altruism group.

Keywords:

• self-reference effect
• social desirability
• altruistic behavior
• memory

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the following grants: a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (19700246), a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (20-821), and a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research Abroad from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (630).