Remembering others: using life scripts to access positive but not negative information.
The current research extended to memories of others the life script theory of abstract, idealized mental representations of transitional experiences. Recent and earlier high school graduates rated positive and negative characteristics of popular, average, and unpopular girls from their schools. "Average" girls were rated as higher than average on possessing positive characteristics. Recent but not earlier graduates distinguished between popularity conditions on negative characteristics (negative information is not included in life scripts). For positive characteristics, earlier graduates remembered unpopular girls less favorably (perhaps using stereotypical scripts) than recent graduates remembered them (having greater access to episodic memories of individual girls). A smaller graduation time difference in the same direction resulted for average and popular girls.
Western Carolina University, USA. hedyjwhite@yahoo.com
Hedy
H
White
Harmony A
HA
Coppola
Nichole K
NK
Multunas
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001244:Association; D002605:Character; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D010469:Perceptual Distortion; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D012928:Social Desirability; D012938:Social Perception