Encoding Multimodal Scenes in a Virtual City: How the Multifaceted Self Shapes Naturalistic Episodic Memory

The self-reference effect (SRE) suggests that encoding new material in episodic memory (EM) is enhanced when information is closely linked to the Self. However, traditional approaches to the SRE have neglected the interplay between multiple facets of the Self and naturalistic, multisensory EM contexts. The present study investigates the respective and joint contributions of the minimal and narrative Selves to the SRE during the encoding of naturalistic, multisensory daily events in a virtual city, experienced while embodied in a first-person avatar. Preliminary findings suggest that the narrative Self plays a predominant role in enhancing EM encoding under ecological conditions.