Method of loci and semantic link: assessment of memory benefits in healthy aging

Associative memory naturally declines with age. However, when associative memory is supported by semantic knowledge, older adults can compensate for this decline. This study aims to explore the use of the method of loci, which involves associating each item of a to-be-memorized list with a location along a familiar route, that we adapted to leverage pre-existing knowledge in semantic memory. The memory of young (18–30 years old) and older (60–75 years old) participants was tested after encoding word lists using the method of loci under two conditions: congruent or incongruent with pre-existing knowledge, compared to a control condition. The objective was to assess memory performance improvement based on encoding conditions and age groups. The results showed significant memory performance improvements in both groups when the method of loci was used with congruent associations. In contrast, performance in the incongruent condition was similar to that observed during encoding without a specific strategy, highlighting the importance of semantic links for associative memory. Furthermore, using the method of loci with congruent associations, older adults displayed recall performance equivalent to young adults, while it was not the case with incongruent associations. The method of loci applied in conditions of semantic congruence thus appears to be a promising compensatory strategy for older adults.