Our ability to forget on demand is called intentional forgetting, and it can be examined using the item-method directed forgetting paradigm. Recently, an inhibition account has gained popularity, arguing that to-be-forgotten (F) items are inhibited in working memory to impair their representations in long-term memory. In a series of experiments, we tested predictions from this inhibitory account by increasing the item and cue durations, respectively. Inhibition predicts decreased recognition for F items with increasing duration. In item recognition, increasing item duration increased memory for both to-be-remembered (R) and F items, in line with a selective rehearsal account of directed forgetting. There was no differential effect of cue duration on memory for R and F items. In associative recognition, increasing item duration increased memory for both R and F items but increasing cue duration increased memory only for R items, which is counter to an inhibition account.

Self-relevant information (i.e. related to the observer) is better remembered than other-relevant information. However, itremains to be seen how self-relevance during an initial social encounter can impact later face recognition. We presented63 participants with sentences describing an opinion varying in self-relevance (self/other-relevant) and valence (posi-tive/negative), followed by neutral face pictures of each opinion holder. Eye-tracking ensured the sentences were readand participants rated the valence and affective arousal of how each face made them feel. Participants then completed asurprise recognition task for the target faces. Recognition accuracy was greater when faces were preceded by self-relevantthan other-relevant sentences, and these faces were more arousing. Sentence self-relevance and valence interacted to affectparticipant valence ratings of the face, but not recognition accuracy. This indicates that initial social encounters can havea lasting effect on ones memory of another person, producing an enhanced memory trace of that individual.