Sample Items From the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MSEQ)

Abstract

The Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MSEQ) is a psychological instrument designed to assess an individual’s confidence in their own memory abilities across various demanding, real-world tasks. Developed by Berry, West, and Dennehey, the scale operationalizes Self-Efficacy theory within the domain of cognitive psychology, specifically focusing on prospective and retrospective memory functions. Respondents rate their perceived ability to successfully complete specific memory challenges—such as recalling items from a grocery list or following complex directions—using a percentage scale (0% to 100%). The MSEQ is a crucial tool for researchers studying age-related differences in cognition and the motivational factors influencing memory performance, providing insight into subjective memory complaints.

Keywords

Memory Self-Efficacy, Self-Efficacy, Memory Assessment, Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Assessment, Gerontology, Subjective Memory Complaints, Memory Performance.

Authors

Jane M. Berry, Robin L. West, Dierdre M. Dennehey.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the MSEQ is to quantify the subjective judgments individuals hold regarding their capacity to execute specific memory behaviors successfully. Unlike objective memory tests that measure actual performance, the MSEQ focuses on the strength of belief, or perceived competence, which is highly predictive of effort expenditure and persistence when faced with difficult memory tasks. This measure is essential for understanding the subjective dimension of memory complaints and how motivational beliefs interact with objective cognitive function, particularly in aging populations.

By using concrete, everyday scenarios (e.g., remembering phone numbers, errands, or locations), the questionnaire aims to capture ecologically valid self-efficacy judgments that are directly relevant to daily functioning. This allows researchers and clinicians to distinguish between actual memory deficits and performance decrements driven by low confidence or perceived lack of control over one’s mnemonic skills.

Construct

The MSEQ measures Memory Self-Efficacy, a construct derived directly from Albert Bandura’s broader social cognitive theory. Self-Efficacy refers to the belief in one’s capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments. In the context of memory, it is the subjective assessment of how well one can remember information under specific conditions, such as high cognitive load, short time delay, or specific sensory modality.

The scale encompasses different domains of memory, including list recall, spatial memory, and associative memory, ensuring a broad assessment of perceived competence across common life situations. High memory self-efficacy is associated with the use of more effective memory strategies and greater effort investment, which often leads to better objective performance, especially under challenging circumstances.

Validity

The MSEQ demonstrates strong evidence of concurrent and predictive validity. Studies often show that Memory Self-Efficacy scores correlate moderately with objective memory performance measures, suggesting that individuals possess a reasonably accurate, albeit subjective, view of their capabilities. Crucially, the MSEQ often shows higher predictive validity for engagement in memory-related activities and strategy use than objective tests alone.

Construct validity is supported by its significant inverse relationship with measures of depression and anxiety, and its distinctness from general self-esteem, confirming that it specifically taps into competence beliefs about memory rather than global self-worth. Discriminant validity has been established by showing that MSEQ scores are separable from measures of general intelligence or personality traits.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the MSEQ is typically reported as high, often measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients consistently above .80, indicating that the items reliably measure the underlying Memory Self-Efficacy construct. Test-retest reliability is also generally robust, demonstrating stability of self-efficacy judgments over short intervals (e.g., several weeks), suggesting that it measures a relatively stable cognitive belief rather than a transient state.

The multi-item structure and the use of probability judgments contribute to the overall reliability, minimizing measurement error associated with binary (Yes/No) responses. The reliability of the MSEQ makes it suitable for both cross-sectional studies and longitudinal tracking of changes in self-perceived memory competence.

Factor Analysis

Early factor analyses of the MSEQ, including those conducted by the original authors, typically support a multidimensional structure, although a strong general factor of memory self-efficacy often emerges. The items tend to cluster into factors reflecting different types of memory tasks encountered in daily life, such as: Verbal List Recall (e.g., grocery lists, names), Spatial/Contextual Memory (e.g., map directions, locations), and Digit/Number Recall (e.g., phone numbers).

While the scale can be utilized to yield a single, global Memory Self-Efficacy score, the subscale structure provides valuable diagnostic information regarding specific areas where an individual feels most or least competent. This detailed factor structure enhances the clinical utility of the instrument, allowing for targeted interventions.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychometric Questionnaire.

Format: Items present specific memory scenarios followed by a binary response (No/Yes) and a confidence rating scale ranging from 10% to 100% (in 10% increments).

Language Available: Primarily English; translated versions are often used in international Developmental Psychology research.

Population Group: Clinical and non-clinical adults, frequently used in gerontology research.

Age Group: Typically 18 years and older, with a strong focus on middle-aged and older adults.

Population Details: Originally validated on samples including college students and community-dwelling older adults to examine age-related differences in memory cognition and confidence.

Test Methodology: Respondents are asked to judge the probability (P) that they could successfully perform a given memory task (T), usually presented as P(T|C), where C represents the specified context and difficulty level (e.g., remembering 12/12 items after hearing the list twice).

Keywords

Cognitive confidence, Subjective Memory, Jane M. Berry, Robin L. West, Psychometrics, Cognitive Psychology, List learning, Prospective memory.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: Correspondence details for Jane M. Berry were listed as: Institute of Personality Assessment and Research, University of California, Berkeley.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The MSEQ was published in 1989. The scale is widely utilized in non-commercial academic research. While the original article is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association (APA), the scale itself is often available for research use upon request to the primary author(s). Specific licensing fees are generally not required for academic use, though formal permission should be sought for commercial applications or large-scale clinical implementation.

Test Year: 1989 (Based on journal acceptance/publication date).

Reference’s

Berry, J. M., West, R. L., & Dennehey, D. M. (1989). Reliability and validity of the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MSEQ). Developmental Psychology, 25(5), 701–713.

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Items of the Sample Items From the Memory Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MSEQ)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

If I heard it twice‚ I could remember 12 items from a friend’s grocery list of 12 items‚ without taking any list with me to the store.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

If I heard it twice‚ I could remember 10 items from a friend’s grocery list of 12 items‚ without taking any list with me to the store.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

If I heard it twice‚ I could remember 8 items from a friend’s grocery list of 12 items‚ without taking any list with me to the store.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

If I heard it twice‚ I could remember 5 items from a friend’s grocery list of 12 items‚ without taking any list with me to the store.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

If I heard it twice‚ I could remember 2 items from a friend’s grocery list of 12 items‚ without taking any list with me to the store.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Phone

If I looked up 3 phone numbers in the phone book at the same time‚ I could remember the first 3 digits of one phone number.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Picture

If someone showed me the pictures of 16 common everyday objects‚ 1 could look at the pictures once and remember the names of 2 of the objects.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Location

If I had just placed 10 items in different locations in a room‚ I could remember where I had put 2 of the items.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Word

If someone read the list to me twice‚ I could remember the names of 2 common objects from a list of 12 names.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Digit

If I carefully studied 20 numbers printed in a series on a piece of paper‚ I could remember 3 numbers in a row.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Map

If a friend gave me the directions to his or her new house‚ and the directions involved 10 steps‚ a few minutes later I could draw part of the route to the house on a map‚ using the first 2 steps in the directions.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Errands

If a friend asked me to do 10 errands‚ 5 minutes later I could remember 2 of the errands I had to do.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Photographs

If someone showed me the photographs of 10 people and told me their names once‚ I could identify 2 persons by name if I saw the pictures again a few minutes later.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%

Maze

If I had to find the way through a maze (on paper) on my first try‚ and the directions had 10 steps in them‚ I could find the way through part of the maze using the first 2 steps in the directions.

No  Yes   10%    20%   30%    40%    50%    60%    70%    80%    90%    100%