title: Self-referential processing is distinct from semantic elaboration: evidence from long-term memory effects in a patient with amnesia and semantic impairments.
abstract: We report data demonstrating that self-referential encoding facilitates memory performance in the absence of effects of semantic elaboration in a severely amnesic patient also suffering semantic problems. In Part 1, the patient, GA, was trained to associate items with the self or a familiar other during the encoding phase of a memory task (self-ownership decisions in Experiment 1 and self-evaluation decisions in Experiment 2). Tests of memory showed a consistent self-reference advantage, relative to a condition where the reference was another person in both experiments. The pattern of the self-reference advantage was similar to that in healthy controls. In Part 2 we demonstrate that GA showed minimal effects of semantic elaboration on memory for items he semantically classified, compared with items subject to physical size decisions; in contrast, healthy controls demonstrated enhanced memory performance after semantic relative to physical encoding. The results indicate that self-referential encoding, not semantic elaboration, improves memory in amnesia. Self-referential processing may provide a unique scaffold to help improve learning in amnesic cases.
authors: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3UD, UK; Department of Psychology and Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, PR China. Electronic address: jie.sui@psy.ox.ac.uk.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Sui
authors: Glyn W
authors: GW
authors: Humphreys
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000150:complications; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012660:Semantics
keywords: Evaluation; Long-term memory; Ownership; Self-referential processing; Semantic elaboration