[Effects of construct accessibility and self-schema on person memory].
The present study investigated the relationship among construct accessibility, self-schema and person memory. Three hundred and thirty-four subjects received 40 behavioral descriptions of a stimulus person, consisting of eight specific behaviors on each of five trait-dimensions. Subjects also rated personality traits of their acquaintances and themselves on nine-point bipolar scales and ranked the importance of the five trait-dimensions. Weights, which subjects assigned to each of the five dimensions, were calculated as indices of construct accessibility. Self-schema scores of each subject were also calculated based on his/her ratings. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the dimensional weights and self-schema scores were positively correlated with the recall performance of the descriptions of the stimulus person. The schematics recalled significantly more descriptions than the aschematics, whether their self-schema was positive or negative. Subjects who had positive self-schema showed higher construct accessibility than the aschematics. It was argued that the relationship between construct accessibility and self-schema might be affected by motivational factors such as self-esteem.
Kitamura
H
H
Department of Social Psychology, Faculty of Letters, University of Tokyo.
D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011939:Mental Recall; D010551:Personality; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception