The self remembered: Examining individual differences in self -schemas and autobiographical memories

• Main Author: Buckner, Janine P
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2000
• Subjects: Cognitive psychology; Cognitive therapy; Personality; Personality psychology
• ISBN: 9780599889736; 059988973X

Research by Markus (1977, 1990) and others (e.g., Neimeyer & Metzler, 1994, Neimeyer & Rareshide, 1991) in support of Schema Theory has shown that individuals report more autobiographical memories in response to personality traits words judged to be descriptive of and important to their self concepts, relative to traits viewed as less important or descriptive of self. However, no studies have investigated the role of identity in the quality of autobiographical memories. The present study examined how beliefs about personality traits relate to the quantity and quality of autobiographical memories. Participants were 20 male and 22 female college students (mean 19.5 years old) from a private university in Atlanta, GA. Students' beliefs along 4 personality traits were assessed. Autobiographical memories were measured by the number of memories elicited by trait-related memory prompts, and through examination of specific contents and themes of narratives about one trait-relevant experience. Overall, results indicated that beliefs about self along specific personality traits were not generally related to either the quantity or the quality of individuals' autobiographical memories, although some trait measures were somewhat related to some memory measures for specific traits. Moreover, several interesting gender differences emerged in identity and memory, particularly with respect to the trait of Negative Emotionality. Based on these findings it is suggested that males and females may differently view negative emotions as appropriate, even important, aspects of self, and of personal experience. The lack of pervasive relations found in this study between identity and memory measures is contrary to the relations between self-schemas and memory processing observed in previous research. Several differences between the present and past research are outlined which may explain some differences. Improvements for future studies are also suggested. It is possible that schematic processing may be more likely to be observed in specific contexts in which particular features of self are more salient. Directions for future research along these lines are therefore discussed.