Spontaneous memory strategies in a videogame simulating everyday memory tasks

Abstract

People can use different internal strategies to manage their daily tasks, but systematic research on these strategies and their significance for actual performance is still quite sparse. Here we examined self-reported internal strategy use with a 10-block version of the videogame EPELI (Executive Performance in Everyday LIving) in a group of 202 neurotypical adults of 18-50 years of age. In the game, participants perform lists of everyday tasks from memory while navigating in a virtual apartment. Open-ended strategy reports were collected after each EPELI task block, and for comparison also after an EPELI Instruction Recall task and a Word List Learning task assessing episodic memory. On average, 45% of the participants reported using some strategy in EPELI, the most common types being grouping (e.g., performing the tasks room by room), utilising a familiar action schema, and condensing information (e.g., memorising only keywords). Our pre-registered hypothesis on the beneficial effect of self-initiated strategy use gained support, as strategy users showed better performance on EPELI as compared with no strategy users. One of the strategies, grouping, was identified as a clearly effective strategy type. Block-by-block transitions suggested gradual stabilisation of strategy use over the 10 EPELI blocks. The proneness to use strategies showed a weak but reliable association between EPELI and Word List Learning. Overall, the present results highlight the importance of internal strategy use for understanding individual differences in memory performance, as well as the potential benefit for internal strategy employment when faced with everyday memory tasks.

Keywords: Prospective memory; everyday behaviour; executive functions; mnemonics; serious gaming; strategies; videogaming.

Figure 1.

The EPELI game. The participant is to perform everyday chores from memory in a virtual apartment. The floorplan (a) is not available to the participant. The list of tasks for each block is given orally by the virtual character Vincent (b). In this game version, the event-based memory task is to place the teddy bear, when present among the toys scattered on the floor, on the sofa (c). The participant moves around by clicking on white hotspots on the floor. A clock with running time can be opened by clicking the right mouse button.

Figure 2.

Block-wise distributions of the three strategy-related variables in EPELI. Please see the online version for coloured figures. (a) Distribution of primary strategy type per block. (b) The number of strategy types per block among those using a strategy in that block. (c) Distribution of the reported number of strategy details per block among those using a strategy in that block. For each block, case counts and percentages are provided only for the categories with four or more cases.

Figure 3.

Block-by-block performance in the outcome variables: (a) total score, (b) task efficacy, and (c) navigation efficacy for strategy users versus non-users in a given block (n = 202). Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 4.

Block-by-block performance on the outcome variables: (a) total score, (b) task efficacy, and (c) navigation efficacy for strategy non-users, grouping strategy users, and those using the strategy of condensing information. Note that the constellations of participants vary between the blocks, as a given participant can belong to different strategy categories in different blocks. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 5.

Changes in strategy use over the 10 EPELI task blocks. Number of observations (individuals) shown for each of the nine block transitions.