Final answer:
Professors tend to talk about themselves during lecture because of the self-reference effect, which shows that individuals remember information that has personal relevance. Personal anecdotes and relating the material to their own experiences can enhance students' memory and understanding.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to research on the self-reference effect, professors tend to talk about themselves during lecture because people tend to have better memory for information that relates to oneself. The self-reference effect is the tendency for individuals to remember information that has personal relevance compared to material that is less personal. Therefore, when professors share personal anecdotes or relate the material to their own experiences, it can enhance students' memory and understanding of the information.