Memorability of Images Positively Influences Associative Memory Retention

Abstract

Enhancing memory function is essential for daily living and cognitive health, particularly amid population aging and cognitive decline. However, current methods for memory enhancement often require specialized interventions or effortful practice. Here, we present evidence that the intrinsic memorability of images can serve as a simple, scalable, and involuntary strategy for improving associative memory. We studied its effects on associative memory in adults of distinct ages, memory retention in cognitively impaired older adults, and vocabulary learning in foreign language learners. Our results show that highly memorable images significantly enhance the recall of associated words, especially when the cue image and target word are semantically unrelated. Notably, these effects persist for at least one week and are robust across age groups and cognitive status. In a foreign language vocabulary task, pairing words with memorable images led to either improved recall accuracy or reduced learning time. These findings highlight that, in addition to being an intrinsic memory-enhancing property, image memorability also serves as a general facilitator of associative memory, via a method that is easy to adopt, requires minimal conscious effort, and can benefit the general public, particularly learners and cognitive impairment patients in educational and clinical settings.