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.”