{"id":1384,"slug":"symons-johnson-1997-self-reference-meta","title":"Symons & Johnson (1997) meta-analysis — self-reference effect: information encoded in relation to the self is better recalled; the self is a well-developed elaboration construct","kind":"reference","scope":"business","status":"current","audiences":["kevin","smb-owner","candid-team"],"topics":["behavioral-economics","interactive-tool-mechanisms"],"reference_body":"**Claim:** **Symons & Johnson (1997) meta-analysis** confirms: **information encoded in relation to the self is better recalled**; the self is a well-developed construct that promotes elaboration and organization of encoded information.\n\n**Source:** Symons & Johnson (1997), Psychological Bulletin.\n\n**Confidence:** Verified (meta-analysis).\n\n**Why this matters for Candid:** Foundation of the personalization mechanism. A tool's output is *self-relevant by construction* — computed from the user's own inputs — making the output structurally stickier than any \"average customer\" prose.","rationale_body":null,"metadata":null,"links":{"outgoing":[],"incoming":[{"slug":"research-brief-interactive-tool-mechanisms-smb-june-2026","title":"Research brief: why interactive tools deepen a business's relationship with its audience — a mechanism-level research package (June 2026)","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"},{"slug":"svensson-2022-self-relevance-attention","title":"Svensson et al. (2022), Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology — self-relevance modulates attentional processing (narrowing of visual attention / executive control) even for arbitrary stimuli","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"tam-ho-2006-web-personalization-mediation","title":"Tam & Ho (2006), Information Systems Research — content relevance + self-reference mediate the effect of web personalization on attention, processing, decisions; users clicked self-referent offers far more","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"de-keyzer-2025-personalized-advertising-meta","title":"De Keyzer et al. (2025), Journal of Advertising — meta-analysis: actual personalization outperforms imagined / scenario personalization via stronger self-referencing and perceived relevance","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"rule-maximise-self-relevance-in-output","title":"R3 — Maximise self-relevance in the output: show the user's own number, not \"people like you average X\"; the personalization mechanism is the best-evidenced lever in the brief","kind":"rule","scope":"business","link_type":"depends-on"},{"slug":"gruber-gelman-ranganath-2014-curiosity-hippocampus-dopamine","title":"Gruber, Gelman & Ranganath (2014), Neuron 84(2) — high-curiosity states enhanced midbrain (SN/VTA) + nucleus accumbens activity; improved memory for target AND incidental information","kind":"reference","scope":"business","link_type":"relates-to"}]},"created_at":"2026-06-20T18:18:57.500Z","updated_at":"2026-06-20T18:18:57.500Z"}