PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

No pictures, please: Taking photos may impede memory of museum tour

2013-12-09
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Anna Mikulak
amikulak@psychologicalscience.org
202-293-9300
Association for Psychological Science
No pictures, please: Taking photos may impede memory of museum tour Visit a museum these days and you'll see people using their smartphones and cameras to take pictures of works of art, archeological finds, historical artifacts, and any other object that strikes their fancy. While taking a picture might seem like a good way to preserve the moment, new research suggests that museum-goers may want to put their cameras down.

In a new study, psychological scientist Linda Henkel of Fairfield University presents data showing that participants had worse memory for objects, and for specific object details, when they took photos of them. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Henkel was inspired to conduct the research in part because of her own experiences.

"People so often whip out their cameras almost mindlessly to capture a moment, to the point that they are missing what is happening right in front of them," says Henkel.

This led her to wonder about the extent to which capturing life events with a camera shapes what we later remember.

To find out, she set up an experiment in the Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University. Undergraduates were led on a tour around the museum and were asked to take note of certain objects, either by photographing them or by simply observing them. The next day, their memory for the objects was tested.

The data showed that participants were less accurate in recognizing the objects they had photographed compared to those they had only observed. Furthermore, they weren't able to answer as many questions about the objects' visual details for those objects they had photographed.

Henkel calls this the "photo-taking impairment effect":

"When people rely on technology to remember for them — counting on the camera to record the event and thus not needing to attend to it fully themselves — it can have a negative impact on how well they remember their experiences," she explains.

A second study replicated these findings, but it also presented an interesting twist: Taking a photograph of a specific detail on the object by zooming in on it with the camera seemed to preserve memory for the object, not just for the part that was zoomed in on but also for the part that was out of frame.

"These results show how the 'mind's eye' and the camera's eye are not the same," says Henkel.

Henkel's lab is currently investigating whether the content of a photo, such as whether you are in it, affects later memory. She also wonders whether actively choosing what to photograph might influence what we remember.

"This study was carefully controlled, so participants were directed to take pictures of particular objects and not others," says Henkel, "but in everyday life people take photos of things that are important to them, that are meaningful, that they want to remember."

Most museum-goers would probably argue that they take pictures so that they're able to look at them later. Doesn't reviewing the photos we've taken help us to remember?

Memory research suggests that it would, but only if we actually took the time to do it:

"Research has suggested that the sheer volume and lack of organization of digital photos for personal memories discourages many people from accessing and reminiscing about them," says Henkel. "In order to remember, we have to access and interact with the photos, rather than just amass them."

### For more information about this study, please contact: Linda A. Henkel at lhenkel@fairfield.edu.

The article abstract can be found online: http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/12/04/0956797613504438.abstract

The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "Point-and-Shoot Memories: The Influence of Taking Photos on Memory for a Museum Tour" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Deep Carbon Observatory scientists discover quick recipe for producing hydrogen

2013-12-08
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 8-Dec-2013 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Terry Collins tc@tca.tc 416-538-8712 Katie Pratt katie_pratt@mail.uri.edu 401-536-8813 Deep Carbon Observatory Deep Carbon Observatory scientists discover quick recipe for producing hydrogen New formula for fast, abundant H2 production may help power fuel cells, helps explain expansive chemical-eating microbial communities ...

Study: Majority of epilepsy surgery patients enjoy improvement in their physical and social well-being

2013-12-08
Study: Majority of epilepsy surgery patients enjoy improvement in their physical and social well-being DETROIT – The majority of epilepsy patients who have brain surgery to treat their disorder are satisfied with the results in reducing epilepsy-related seizures ...

Bed bugs can survive freezing temperatures, but cold can still kill them

2013-12-08
Bed bugs can survive freezing temperatures, but cold can still kill them Exposing bed bug-infested clothing or other small items to freezing temperatures may be a viable control option for people at risk of bed bug infestations. However, a new study ...

Targeted treatment can significantly reduce relapse in children with AML leukemia

2013-12-08
Targeted treatment can significantly reduce relapse in children with AML leukemia Findings from nationwide study led by Children's Mercy researcher highlighted at American Society of Hematology Meeting The addition of a monoclonal antibody called gemtuzumab combined ...

New insights into pathophysiology of sickle cell disease and thalassemia may help improve care

2013-12-08
New insights into pathophysiology of sickle cell disease and thalassemia may help improve care (NEW ORLEANS, December 8, 2013) – New research presented today during the 55th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition ...

Novel drug regimen can improve stem cell transplantation outcomes

2013-12-08
Novel drug regimen can improve stem cell transplantation outcomes Bortezomib (Velcade) reduces GVHD, boosts survival NEW ORLEANS— Adding bortezomib (Velcade) to standard preventive therapy for graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) results in improved ...

Flipping a gene switch reactivates fetal hemoglobin, may reverse sickle cell disease

2013-12-08
Flipping a gene switch reactivates fetal hemoglobin, may reverse sickle cell disease In lab studies, CHOP researchers reprogram gene expression, showing proof-of-concept for potential therapy Hematology researchers at The Children's Hospital ...

Survey: Knowledge about HPV vaccine effectiveness lacking

2013-12-08
Survey: Knowledge about HPV vaccine effectiveness lacking ATLANTA — Knowledge about the efficacy of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in preventing cervical cancer was lacking in the majority of survey respondents for whom the information ...

Certain genetic alterations may explain head and neck cancer survival disparities

2013-12-08
Certain genetic alterations may explain head and neck cancer survival disparities ATLANTA — Certain genetic alterations to the PAX gene family may be responsible for survival disparities seen between African-American and non-Latino white men ...

Genetic mutations and molecular alterations may explain racial differences in head and neck cancers

2013-12-08
Genetic mutations and molecular alterations may explain racial differences in head and neck cancers Study helps explain why 'survival gap' persists for African-Americans A team of scientists at Johns Hopkins and in Texas has identified a handful of genetic mutations ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

What are they vaping? Study reveals alarming surge in adolescent vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids

ECMWF - delivering forecasts over 10 times faster and cutting energy usage by 1000

Brazilian neuroscientist reveals how viral infections transform the brain through microscopic detective work

Turning social fragmentation into action through discovering relatedness

Cheese may really be giving you nightmares, scientists find

Study reveals most common medical emergencies in schools

Breathable yet protective: Next-gen medical textiles with micro/nano networks

Frequency-engineered MXene supercapacitors enable efficient pulse charging in TENG–SC hybrid systems

Developed an AI-based classification system for facial pigmented lesions

Achieving 20% efficiency in halogen-free organic solar cells via isomeric additive-mediated sequential processing

New book Terraglossia reclaims language, Country and culture

The most effective diabetes drugs don't reach enough patients yet

Breast cancer risk in younger women may be influenced by hormone therapy

Strategies for staying smoke-free after rehab

Commentary questions the potential benefit of levothyroxine treatment of mild hypothyroidism during pregnancy

Study projects over 14 million preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues

New study reveals 33% gap in transplant access for UK’s poorest children

Dysregulated epigenetic memory in early embryos offers new clues to the inheritance of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

IVF and IUI pregnancy rates remain stable across Europe, despite an increasing uptake of single embryo transfer

It takes a village: Chimpanzee babies do better when their moms have social connections

From lab to market: how renewable polymers could transform medicine

Striking increase in obesity observed among youth between 2011 and 2023

No evidence that medications trigger microscopic colitis in older adults

NYUAD researchers find link between brain growth and mental health disorders

Aging-related inflammation is not universal across human populations, new study finds

University of Oregon to create national children’s mental health center with $11 million federal grant

Rare achievement: UTA undergrad publishes research

Fact or fiction? The ADHD info dilemma

Genetic ancestry linked to risk of severe dengue

Genomes reveal the Norwegian lemming as one of the youngest mammal species

[Press-News.org] No pictures, please: Taking photos may impede memory of museum tour