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Korean Journal of Social and Personality Psychology

ISSN : 1229-0653

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Vol.24 No.1

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Self-positivity bias in self-referential source memory

Korean Journal of Social and Personality Psychology / Korean Journal of Social and Personality Psychology, (P)1229-0653;
2010, v.24 no.1, pp.47-61
https://doi.org/10.21193/kjspp.2010.24.1.004


& (2010). Self-positivity bias in self-referential source memory. Korean Journal of Social and Personality Psychology, 24(1), 47-61, https://doi.org/10.21193/kjspp.2010.24.1.004

Abstract

The present study investigated whether the magnitude of self-reference effects would differ for positive versus negative information as a function of self-positivity bias within a source monitoring paradigm. In Experiment 1 where a memory test immediately followed a learning phase, the size of self-reference effects was significantly larger for the positive words compared to negative words. This decrease in the magnitude of self-reference effects for negative words was found to be more pronounced in Experiment 2 where a 24-hour interval was introduced between learning and memory test phases: no self-reference effect for negative words. The present findings suggest that due to the self-positivity bias, the association between a memory and its source become systematically biased toward positivity when a memory is self-relevant as well as toward negativity when a memory is about others. Overall, the current findings provide support for the crucial role of memory in maintaining and enhancing positive self-image and further suggest that memory bias, which has mostly been discussed for its negative consequences, may serve a functionally adaptive role by enhancing individuals' positive self perception and subjective well-being.

keywords
self-positivity bias, self-reference effect, source memory, source monitoring, memory bias, 자기 긍정 편향, 자기 참조 효과, 출처 기억, 출처 감시, 기억 편향

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