The Self-reference Effect Of Tibetan Teenager

Rogers,Kuiper,and Kirker(1977) first proposed the concept of self-reference effect. Since then studies of self-reference effect aroused the enthusiasm of psychological researchers. The self-reference effect is information actively related to self was better remembered compared to other encoding tasks. Self-construal was modulated by culture. Studies about self-reference effect on culture differences between east and west, found that the memory performance between self-trait judgment and mother-trait judgment have no difference in Chinese subjects, but have significantly difference in western subjects. China is a multi-ethnic country, each nation has its unique culture, influenced by the culture, self-construal of various nationalities is different.The individual can process self-related information from self-immersed perspective and self-distanced perspective. Self-immersed perspective is that individual process self-related information from egocentric perspective, in which self-relevant information is experienced in the first person. Self-distanced perspective is that individual process self-related information from an ego-decentered, third-person perspective. The processing of self-related information from different perspectives would have different effects.Tibetan minority group in China has its own unique culture. The present study used classic self-reference paradigm researched Tibetan teenagers’ characteristics of self-reference effect, and the difference of self-reference effect between two types of self referential processing(self-referential processing in self-immersed perspective,self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective) using R/K paradigm.In experiment 1, we selected 47 Tibetan vocational high school students, and employed a within-group design, independent variable was orientation tasks( self-reference, mother-reference, father-reference, GenGa-reference(a famous Tibetan idol) and judgment of semantic)and dependent variable was the correct response, using classic self-reference paradigm. In experiment 2, using R/K paradigm, we selected 28 Tibetan students and 30 Han students from vocational high school, and designed a mixed design, 3( orientation tasks : self-reference processing in self-immersed perspective, self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective, other-reference processing)(other-reference processing as a control group)×2(style of judgment:R, K)×2(nation: Tibetan, Han), and dependent variable was the correct response. The experiment 3 used 31 Han undergraduates and 28 Tibetan undergraduates to replicate the design and program used in experiment 2. In experiment 2 and 3, before the manipulation of the experiment, subjects should finish two scales ——Positive And Negative Affect Scale(PANANS), Self-esteem Scale(SES)(to control subjects’ affect and self-esteem). When finish the manipulation in computer, all subjects were asked to finish the questionnaires about their faith and the performance of self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective. Meanwhile, Tibetan subjects need finish the questionnaire about national identification.In experiment 1, we found that the recognition rate in self-reference processing is as good as parents and idol, and they are all better than judgment of semantic. In another word, Tibetan students have self-reference effect, mother-reference effect, father-reference effect, and idol-reference effect. In experiment 2, we found that the correct recognition rates have no significant difference between self-referential processing in self-immersed perspective and self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective in Tibetan high school students. But there were significant difference between self-referential processing in self-immersed perspective and self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective in Han high school students. We also found that Han and Tibetan subjects’ recognition rates have no significant difference in R/K response, commendatory term, derogatory term and old adjective words. In experiment 3, we replicated the results found in experiment 2 with Han and Tibetan undergraduates, except that Tibetan undergraduates’ recognition rate in self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective is significant higher than Han undergraduates. Meanwhile, Tibetan undergraduates’ recognition rates of commendatory term and derogatory term in self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective is significant higher than Han undergraduates, as well as the recognition rates of derogatory term in self-referential processing in self-immersed perspective.Conclusion:(1) Tibetan teenagers’ recognition rates in judgments of self, mother, father and GenGa have no significant difference. The self-concept of Tibetan teenager maybe contains the concepts of parents and idol.(2) The recognition rates and R grades of Han Chinese subjects form high school and college in self-reference processing in self-immersed perspective are significantly superior than self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective, indicated that self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective reduced the remember effect of self-reference in Han teenager.(3) The recognition rates and R/K grades of Tibetan Chinese subjects form high school and college in self-referential processing in self-distanced perspective and self-reference processing in self-immersed perspective have no significant difference indicated that their perspective of self-reference processing maybe self-distanced perspective.