Knowledge about the future self may engage cognitive processes typically ascribed to episodic memory, such as awareness of the future self as an extension of the current self (i.e., autonoetic consciousness) and the construction of future events. In a prior study (Tanguay et al., 2018), temporal orientation influenced the Late Positive Component (LPC), an ERP correlate of recollection. The LPC amplitude for present traits was intermediate between semantic and episodic memory, whereas thinking about one's future traits produced a larger LPC amplitude that was similar to episodic memory. Here, we examined further the effect of temporal orientation on the LPC amplitude and investigated if it was influenced by whether knowledge concerns the self or another person, with the proximity of the other being considered. Participants verified whether traits (e.g., Enthusiastic) were true of themselves and the “other,” both now and in the future. Proximity of the other person was manipulated between subjects, such that participants either thought about the typical traits of a close friend (n = 31), or those of their age group more broadly (n = 35). Self-reference and temporal orientation interacted: The LPC amplitude for future knowledge was larger than for present knowledge, but only for the self. This effect of temporal orientation was not observed when participants thought about the traits of other people. The proximity of the other person did not modify these effects. Future-oriented cognition can engage different cognitive processes depending on self-reference; knowledge about the personal future increased the LPC amplitude unlike thinking about the future of other people. Our findings strengthen the notion of self-knowledge as a grey area between semantic and episodic memory.

关于未来自我的知识可能会参与通常归因于情节记忆的认知过程，例如将未来自我作为当前自我的扩展（即自觉意识）的认知和未来事件的建构。在先前的研究中（Tanguay等人，2018），时间取向影响后期正向成分（LPC），后者是回忆的ERP相关因素。当前特征的LPC幅度介于语义记忆和情节记忆之间，而思考一个人的未来特征会产生更大的LPC幅度，类似于情节记忆。在这里，我们进一步研究了时间取向对LPC幅度的影响，并研究了它是否受到知识是否涉及到自己或另一个人的影响，同时考虑了另一个人的亲近性。无论现在还是将来，热心者对自己和“他人”都是如此。在主题之间操纵他人的接近度，使参与者要么考虑密友的典型特征（n  = 31），要么考虑其同龄人的典型特征（n = 35）。自我参照和时间取向相互作用：未来知识的LPC幅度大于当前知识的LPC幅度，但仅针对自我。当参与者考虑其他人的特质时，没有观察到时间取向的这种影响。他人的近距离并没有改变这些影响。面向未来的认知可以根据自我参照参与不同的认知过程。关于个人未来的知识增加了LPC的幅度，而不是考虑其他人的未来。我们的发现加强了自我知识的概念，即语义和情节记忆之间的灰色区域。