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

[en] Objective: Episodic memory naturally declines with age. The method of loci is an encoding strategy that has been shown to enhance episodic memory. However, it relies heavily on associative memory, as it consists in associating each item of a to-be-learnt list with a location along a familiar route, and associative memory is thought to be the source of the episodic age-related decline. 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, that we adapted to leverage pre-existing knowledge in semantic memory, to improve episodic memory in aging. Methods: Word recall performance 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. Results: The results showed significant memory performance improvement in both groups when the method of loci was used with congruent associations. In contrast, in older adults, performance in the incongruent condition did not improve compared with that observed during encoding without a specific strategy, highlighting the importance of semantic inks 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. Conclusions: The method of loci applied in conditions of semantic congruence thus appears to be a promising compensatory strategy for older adults.

Disciplines :

Theoretical & cognitive psychology

Author, co-author :

Debroux, Laure ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie

Bastin, Christine ^✱; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Neurosciences - Aging & Memory

Delhaye, Emma ^✱; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Neurosciences - Aging & Memory ; University of lisbon > Faculty of psychology

^✱ These authors have contributed equally to this work.

Language :

English

Title :

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

Alternative titles :

[fr] Méthode des Loci et Lien Sémantique : Évaluation des Bénéfices Mnésiques dans le Vieillissement Sain

Original title :

[en] Method of Loci and Semantic Link: Assessment of Memory Benefits in Healthy Aging

Publication date :

21 October 2025

Journal title :

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society

ISSN :

1355-6177

eISSN :

1469-7661

Publisher :

Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom

Volume :

Issue :

7-8

Pages :

509-517

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

10.31234/osf.io/e683d_v1

Data Set :

https://osf.io/bfrge/?view_only=94fa449e7c054e72bc946c5ebc17efbb

Available on ORBi :

since 11 February 2025

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