Is the best way to boost your memory to tell other folks to remember more?

Friday, April 26, 2024.

A fascinating study reveals that sharing information can significantly enhance memory retention.

Researchers found that humans who immediately relayed information to others were able to remember it more effectively and for a longer duration!

Lead author Dr. Melanie Sekeres explains, "This involves actively replaying or re-generating the information, such as telling someone the particulars, rather than just re-reading the textbook or class notes and studying it again later. A week later, the memory was just as good."

How the study was conducted

In the study, participants were tasked with remembering the general plots of films and specific details within them. Surprisingly, even small cues, like the film's title, were enough to trigger detailed recollections.

Dr. Sekeres notes, "With a cue, suddenly, a lot of those details will come back. We don't permanently forget them, which would indicate a lack of storage; we just can't immediately access them. And that's good. That means our memories aren't as bad as we think."

Cinematherapy and Memory…

The study used mostly foreign and obscure films, containing scenes of everyday events. Dr. Sekeres explains, "The clips all contained brief scenes of normal, everyday events that mimicked the kind of events you might experience in a day, such as a family having dinner or kids playing at a park."

To enhance memory retention, Dr. Sekeres recommends explaining the information to someone else, even if it feels challenging. She advises, "Test yourself, force yourself to tell someone about the lecture. Even by writing out some questions for yourself about the information, then later answering them yourself, you are more likely to remember the information."

The study underscores the importance of active engagement with information, rather than passive methods like re-reading or listening to recordings. Dr. Sekeres concludes, "We remember the important things, for the most part, and we forget the unimportant details. You don't want your brain to search through tons of useless information."

Remember, sharing is caring—especially when it comes to boosting your memory!

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

RESEARCH:

Recovering and preventing loss of detailed memory: differential rates of forgetting for detail types in episodic memory

Melanie J. Sekeres1,Kyra Bonasia2,Marie St-Laurent1,Sara Pishdadian2,Gordon Winocur1,2,3,4,Cheryl Grady1,2,3 andMorris Moscovitch1,2,5