Using Cameras in Museums May Impair Memory: Study

Capturing pictures using smartphones and other cameras may impede memory, new study has found.

According to a new study by psychological scientist Linda Henkel of Fairfield University, capturing works of art, archeological finds, historical artifacts, and any other objects on cameras may hamper the memory of the museum goers.

"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.

For the study, researchers conducted an experiment at the Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University. The participants were taken for a tour around the museum and were asked to take notes about certain objects. They could do this by either photographing them or by just observing the art piece. After the tour, the subjects were called the next day and their memory was tested by the researchers.

The study team noticed that participants who had taken pictures were less accurate in recognizing the objects when compared to those participants who carefully observed the piece of art. Also, they couldn't recall any details about the artwork.

The researcher terms this as '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 revealed that taking a photograph of a specific detail by zooming on it with the camera, preserved the memory for the object. This was not just applicable to the part that was zoomed and captured but also the whole frame.

This study indicated that the mind's eye is different from the camera's eye.

Henkel plans to investigate whether the content of photo affects the memory. "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."

The finding was published in the journal Psychological Science.