Participants in one study recalled words better when they had been asked first whether the word described them (rather than, for example, if the word had been printed in large letters). Researchers interpret this to mean that
A) the participants had to think about the word more when asked if it described them.
B) the self-description questions generated more interest for the participants than the other questions.
C) the self-description questions generated a stronger emotional reaction for the participants than the other questions.
D) the participants processed the information in a self-referencing manner.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The finding that participants remembered words better when they were asked whether the word described them suggests that they were processing the information in a self-referencing manner. By considering the relevance of the word to themselves, they were engaging in a deeper level of semantic processing. The other answer choices are possible explanations for the effect, but D is the most directly supported by the data presented.

Participants in One Study Recalled Words Better When They Had