Abstract
The present study examined the self-choice effects on intentional memory and the relationship between the criterion for choosing, and the size of the self-choice effects. Pleasant-unpleasant word pairs were supplied to the participants in either a self- choice or forced-choice condition. In the self-choice condition they were asked to choose one of the words that elicited more pleasant or more unpleasant episodes, and to remember the chosen word. In the forced-choice condition one of the paired words ( pleasant or unplesasant) was underlined to signify that it was the word to remember. The self-choice effect was observed in choosing a word that elicited more unpleasant episodes, but the effect was not in choosing a word that elicited more pleasant episodes. These results were interpreted as showing that the criterion for choosing determined whether the self-choice effect has occured or not.
