The Influence Of Cultural Factors On The Retrieval-Induced Forgetting Under The Condition Of Self-Referential

Self-referential encoding affects retrieval-induced forgetting(RIF). However, little research has been conducted to explore whether it can be generalized to different culture and religion contexts, especially whether significant others in real world are involved in self-concept in religion. The present research used retrieval-induced forgetting paradigm to investigate the regional cognition in the references(self, imam, others) by ethnicity(Han vs. Hui). The first results showed that RIF was observed neither under the self-referential encoding nor under the imam-referential encoding in hui culture contexts. While for Han participants, RIF was observed in the imam-referential and the other-referential but not in the self-referential. The second results showed that Retrieval-induced enhancement occurred in both ethic groups of Hui and Han participants under self-referential, imam-referential and other-referential processing conditions. Retrieval-induced forgetting also occurred in all three conditions in ethnic Han and Hui participants. The third results showed that the participants of Hui and Han nationalities did not show retrieval-induced forgetting under the self-reference condition but both showed retrieval-induced forgetting under the imam-reference and others-reference conditions. The EEG results indicate that compared with the Han nationality, the right brain regions of Hui participants showed larger P3(247-426ms) and LPC(457-800ms) amplitudes in the self-reference and imam-reference conditions.These suggest that self-referential effect has a cross-cultural generalizability. The imam as an important others to Muslim can be integrated in Hui’s self-concept and therefore lead to imam-referential effect in retrieval-induced forgetting; the impact of self-reference which typically reduces retrieval-induced forgetting is diminished when memory load is high; the self is a part of self-structure. P300 and LPC and MPFC are important indicators of the self-reference effect. Religions factors affect the neural mechanisms of self.