关键词: 范围假设, 自我图式, 特质概要

Abstract: Two experiments were conducted to investigate the scope hypothesis. Every trial included an initial task in which participants were asked to describe or define an adjective trait and a target task, in which they were asked to retrieve from memory a specific episode consistent or inconsistent with the initial traits. A 9-point scale was used to identify the descriptive degree for the initial traits. The results show that when self as the target, the trait summary exists in whichever descriptive degree and therefore activates the inconsistent episodic memory. The results are very similar to that of Klein et al. with American participants. However, when mother as the target, the trait summery can also activate the inconsistent episodic memory on high, medial or low descriptive degrees, which is different to American results. From the angle of scope hypothesis, this study verifies that to Chinese, the role of mother is similar to the role of self on the memory level, which suggests that Chinese self-schema may include mother.

Key words: scope hypothesis, self schema, trait summary