Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2025
Author Spotlight: Investigating the Effects of Mind-Body-Movement Practices on Brain Function
Published on: January 26, 2024
The effect of visual perspective on episodic memory in aging: A virtual reality study
Silvia Serino1, Melanie Bieler-Aeschlimann2, Andrea Brioschi Guevara2
1Department of Psychology, Università degli Studi Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo, 1, 20126 Milano, MI, Italy; MySpace Lab, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Young adults show better memory recall when encoding information from a first-person perspective, unlike older adults. This study explores age-related differences in episodic memory and self-referencing using virtual reality.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Episodic memory research has explored flexible retrieval using first-person (1PP) and third-person perspectives (3PP).
- Age-related changes can impact memory formation and retrieval processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in memory formation based on visual perspective during encoding.
- To examine how virtual reality influences memory encoding from 1PP versus 3PP.
Main Methods:
- A Virtual Reality (VR) paradigm was employed to manipulate visual perspective during memory encoding.
- Participants (32 young adults, 32 seniors) navigated virtual cities, encoding events from either 1PP or 3PP while controlling an avatar.
Main Results:
- Young adults demonstrated higher recognition accuracy after encoding in 1PP compared to 3PP.
- Older adults did not show a memory benefit when encoding from 1PP compared to 3PP.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest age-related differences in episodic memory functioning and self-referencing processes.
- The benefit of 1PP encoding for memory may diminish with age.
