Autobiographical memory, personality, and Facebook mementos

The present study analyzed the relationships between directive, self and social functions of autobiographical memory, personality traits, as defined by the Five Factor model, and the Facebook mementos. We defined Facebook mementos as objective measures of the textual (i.e., Facebook Status Updating) and visual (i.e., Photos uploading) information people record on their Facebook profiles. Questionnaires gathered data from a sample of 193 Italian Facebook users (148 female; 45 male; age M = 22.8, SD = 6.8). Results at path analysis using AMOS showed direct significant positive associations between personality traits related to extraversion, openness, neuroticism, conscientiousness and Facebook mementos. Extraversion and openness were positive precursors of the directive, self and social functions of autobiographical memory, whereas neuroticism predicted directive and self-functions, and conscientiousness was a positive precursor of the directive function of autobiographical memory. As well, indirect significant positive paths among extraversion, neuroticism, openness and the frequency of photos uploaded on Facebook for collecting life events have emerged via the mediation of the self-continuity function of autobiographical memory. In sum, the present study highlights how individual differences in motivations for using autobiographical memory for directive-behavior, self-continuity or social-bonding purposes deeply related with the personal experience of using social media as a repository tool for textual or visual information. peerReviewed publishedVersion

本研究分析了自传体记忆（autobiographical memory）的指令性、自我性与社会性功能，以及五因素模型（Five Factor model）所界定的人格特质，与Facebook纪念物之间的关系。本研究将Facebook纪念物界定为用户在其Facebook个人主页上记录的文本（即Facebook状态更新）与视觉（即照片上传）信息的客观测量指标。研究通过问卷从193名意大利Facebook用户（女性148名，男性45名；年龄均值M=22.8，标准差SD=6.8）的样本中收集数据。采用AMOS进行路径分析的结果显示，与外向性、开放性、神经质、尽责性相关的人格特质与Facebook纪念物之间存在显著的直接正向关联。外向性与开放性是自传体记忆的指令性、自我性与社会性功能的正向前置因素，而神经质可预测指令性与自我性功能，尽责性则是自传体记忆指令性功能的正向前置因素。此外，通过自传体记忆的自我连续性功能的中介作用，外向性、神经质、开放性与为留存生活事件而上传至Facebook的照片频率之间存在显著的间接正向路径。综上，本研究揭示了将自传体记忆用于指令行为、自我连续性或社会联结目的的动机个体差异，与将社交媒体作为文本或视觉信息存储工具的个人使用体验之间存在深度关联。同行评议已发表版本