The effect of self-reference upon memory processing of the content of a television documentary in older adults

This study aims to investigate ways to help older adults improve their amount of learning from a television program, namely a documentary. It originates from the results of Owens' study which reveals that older adults: (1) recall 56% of the total ideas presented in a documentary entitled The Xinguana: Aborigines of South America; (2) recognize 53% of the total ideas; (3) recall 60% of the main ideas, 51% of subordinate ideas; and, (4) recognize 51% of the main ideas, and 56% of subordinate ideas.;The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of the self-reference effect upon the amount of main and subordinate ideas which older adults can recall and recognize.;The self-reference effect refers to the influence upon memory processing as a person associates the incoming information with himself/herself. It is operationally defined as the administration of the self-reference orienting questions which the participants receive before viewing the film, and respond to after the film is over. The self-reference orienting questions include the emotional connotation, personal relevance, and self-identification orienting questions.;Findings show that (1) overall, the percentage of the numbers of ideas recalled and recognized are higher than those in Owens' study; (2) participants in the self-reference groups did not score significantly higher than those in the non-self-reference group, (3) participants in emotional connotation, personal relevance, and self-identification orienting question groups did not significantly differ from one another in either recall or recognition tests; (4) when the self-reference-orienting questions were excluded, younger participants (50-72) scored significantly higher than older participants (73-older) in both recall and recognition tests; (5) when the orienting questions were included, younger participants in emotional connotation and personal relevance groups scored significantly higher than older participants; (6) when the orienting questions were excluded, participants who gave long responses scored significantly higher in recall and recognition tests than those with short responses; and (7) when the self-reference orienting questions were included, those with long responses in emotional connotation and personal relevance groups scored significantly higher in recall and recognition test than those with short responses. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)...