Are Self-Related Items Unique? The Self-Prioritization Effect Revisited

The Self-Prioritization effect denotes the apparent advantage in performance for self-related stimuli in a shape-label matching task. It has been argued that the effect reflects unique representations of self-related items that affect early perceptual processing. This study tested an alternative explanation according to which self-related items are not unique but rather the first in line for comparison in the memory matching task. Experiment 1 replicated the basic effect. Experiment 2 examined the necessity of self-related stimuli to the emergence of a prioritization effect and found a similar effect with another socially important concept – father. The father concept also yielded responses similar to the self when both of these labels appeared in the same setting (Experiment 3). Finally, the Self-Prioritization effect was eliminated when the associations used in Experiment 1 were learned in a structured order in which the self-label was the second association to be learned (Experiment 4). Together, these findings indicate that the effect is driven by the tendency to start the shape-label matching process with the self. This tendency is robust, but not unique to the self and can be easily modified with short practice. Hence, the Self-Prioritization effect can be explained without postulating unique representations of self-related items.