Han, Yi-Jhong;
(2018)
The role of the self in episodic memory: the effect of closeness to others.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
It has been shown that processing information in relation to oneself as opposed to others benefits episodic memory. The cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying this self-reference effect (SRE) are mostly unknown. This thesis addressed these mechanisms by investigating (1) the effect of closeness to others on the SRE and (2) the electrophysiological activities associated with encoding and retrieving information about oneself. Three behavioural and two electrophysiological experiments are reported. In Experiment 1, healthy adults judged the degree to which trait adjectives described themselves, a close other or a distant other. Recognition memory for the adjectives showed a significant SRE for the self over both close and distant others. In Experiment 2, a source memory paradigm to elucidate the type of memory involved in the SRE again showed a significant SRE for the self relative to a close and distant other. In Experiment 3, subjective ratings of self-esteem and Big-Five personality traits were acquired to assess individual differences in the SRE. No significant correlations were found. In Experiments 4 and 5, memory-related brain activity was analysed via event-related potentials (ERPs) and oscillations. Retrieving information about oneself was associated with the mid-frontal and left-parietal ERP old/new effects, whereas retrieving information regarding a close other was associated with a late negative-going effect. Additionally, encoding information about oneself did not affect oscillatory power, but encoding information about a close or distant other was respectively associated with decreases in beta and theta power. In combination, the thesis suggests that (1) closeness to others does not explain the SRE and (2) there are distinct brain activities associated with the encoding and retrieval of information about oneself and others. The self thus seems a psychologically and anatomically specialised affiliation that affects information processing over time.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | The role of the self in episodic memory: the effect of closeness to others |
| Event: | UCL (University College London) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2018. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10062511 |
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