Building a memory palace in minutes: Equivalent memory performance using virtual versus conventional environments with the Method of Loci

Legge, E. L. G., Madan, C. R., Ng, E. T., & Caplan, J. B. (2012). Building a memory palace in minutes: Equivalent memory performance using virtual versus conventional environments with the Method of Loci. Acta Psychologica, 141(3), 380-390.

Background

The Method of Loci uses a familiar environment as a mnemonic scaffold and involves visuospatial navigation. Until now, it was not known whether and under which conditions virtual environments can be used as mnemonic scaffolds in the Method of Loci.

Infobox: Method of Loci

Goal & Main Research Question

The goal of this study was to find out whether virtual environments can be used as mnemonic scaffolds for the Method of Loci. 

The main research question is: Does learning success with the Method of Loci differ when using a recently explored virtual environment as a mnemonic scaffold instead of a familiar environment?

Methods

142 students aged 17 to 27 participated in the experiment. They were divided into 3 groups:

  1. The Control groupthat did not receive any instructions on memory techniques
  2. The Conventional Method of Loci Group, which used the Method of Loci with a familiar environment (such as their own apartment)
  3. The Virtual Method of Loci Group, which used the Method of Loci with a virtual environment explored shortly before the memory task

Participants were asked to memorize and recall 10 lists of 11 randomly selected words each using the assigned method.

Results

The surprising results showed that the Virtual Method of Loci Group achieved the same memory performance as the Conventional Method of Loci Group after only 5 minutes of training.
Both variants of the Method of Loci were also effective when the order of the to be remembered words was relevant.

All groups were significantly better at remembering words that could be pictured well than those for which this was difficult.

Relevance

Virtual environments can be successfully used for both practical applications of the Method of Loci and research on mnemonic strategies.

The Method of Loci, also called mind palace or route method found its origin according to traditions with the ancient Greek philosopher Simonides of Keos in the 5th century before Christ.

In this method, a familiar environment serves as a mnemonic scaffold. Study items are linked to locations along a route. When studying with this Method, one imagines placing study items at certain places along this route. When remembering the study items, one "rewalks" the same route mentally and "collects" the study items along the way. It has been shown that in younger adults the Method of Loci increases memory performance significantly already after reading brief instructions on how to use it. For older people, the Method of Loci is less suitable, which is why we are investigating alternative methods such as the Body Method and the Autobiographical Method.