Doing this has the opposite effect than most people expect.
To improve your memory for an event, do not take a photo.
A study has found that taking a picture impairs memory for an event.
Ironically, it is the exact reverse of what people expect — most think it will improve their memory.
In fact, those who took pictures while on a virtual museum tour had up to 20 percent worse memory for what they had seen, psychologists found.
Ms Julia Soares, the study’s first author, said:
“People think that taking a photo will help them remember something better, but it’s actually quite the contrary.”
For the study, people taking a virtual museum tour either just looked at the paintings, or took a picture on their smartphone or used Snapchat to take a picture.
Multiple choice tests showed both groups of picture takers remembered less.
Ms Soares said:
“Whenever they used a camera, they were less likely to remember as well as when they just observed.”
Ms Soares thinks the result might be explained by disengaging attention for a moment.
In other words, taking a photo means you are less focused on what you are doing.
Taking a photo may also create the illusion that of paying attention and remembered something, when really it is a distraction.
Ms Soares said:
“I’m not saying people shouldn’t ever take photographs, but they might want to be mindful about deciding when they do it.”
The study was published in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (Soares & Storm, 2018).
