Young people, older adults, and older adults with memory problems who had to memorise a series of numbers using a rhythm were more successful than when they memorised the numbers without rhythm. This is according to research by health psychology researcher Marije Derks-Dijkman, who will defend her PhD on this topic at Radboud University on 2 April.
Anyone who has learned the ABCs or the days of the week in primary school has likely done so through song; primary school teachers can confirm that this method works better than simply presenting the information verbally. However, scientific evidence for the effectiveness of this approach is still limited, says Derks-Dijkman. ’Research has been conducted on whether music helps students remember new information better, but not yet among older adults.’ This gap was precisely what interested her. Based on her experiences at the memory clinic, she became curious about whether music could help reduce memory problems, particularly in working memory, where information is retained for a short period.
Pitch
To investigate this, participants in her study - young people and older adults, both with and without memory disorders - were asked to memorise sequences of five, six, seven, or eight digits. Some participants heard the sequence spoken normally, while others heard it with rising pitch, with rhythm, or with both pitch and rhythm.
Derks-Dijkman explains: ’We examined what helped most in remembering such sequences. We found that rhythm, in particular, had a positive effect on working memory performance across all three groups. Rhythm therefore helps people retain new information for a short time.’
The psychologist also observed that pitch had no positive effect. ’In older adults, there was even a negative effect compared to the spoken version. This is probably because it placed too much strain on their working memory: they had to remember not only a sequence of numbers but also a new melody.’
Musicality
But why does rhythm work? ’Rhythm can help group numbers into clusters, making them easier to remember. This means you don’t have to memorise each number individually and instead store fewer units in your memory.’
How this applies to letters or words still needs to be investigated. It is also important to examine how a participant’s level of musicality influences the effect. ’In another study, we found that musicality enhances the positive effect, but this requires further exploration.’
These findings could have important implications for older adults with memory problems. ’Now that we understand this, we can explore how to help people with memory difficulties retain new information. Rhythm can truly make a difference.’
