A computer model developed by Rutgers University–New Brunswick researchers may have cracked the code on helpful memory cues, similar to how recounting shared experiences with friends can trigger memory recall, according to a study published in Psychological Science.
“People often use cues from their environment when trying to remember something,” said Qiong Zhang, an assistant professor of psychology and computer science at Rutgers–New Brunswick who also directs the Memory Optimization Lab. “For example, when a person is grocery shopping and forgets their list at home, they may use signs in the store to remind them which groceries to get. But previous research on how we search our memories has not found memory cues to be beneficial.”
Zhang, who sought to develop an automated way of selecting helpful reminders when memory recall becomes challenging, said external reminders are crucial for memory support because they can unlock information that was previously hard to access. To read the full story.