Examining the Influence of Auditory Stimuli on Memory Retention Using the Method of Loci.

The Method of Loci (MoL) is a memory method that associates a place with an item to be remembered, and a variety of research is underway to improve the effectiveness of this method. In our previous study, we investigated whether presenting auditory stimuli could improve the effectiveness of memory retention using the MoL. A virtual memory palace placed with images and names of bird species to be remembered was presented on a monitor display and "Birdcalls" as the auditory stimuli were presented during the memorization. However, the effectiveness of auditory stimuli was not significant. In this study, we conducted an experiment using "The audio pronunciation of bird names" generated by speech synthesis software. We then compared the results with those of an experiment involving the presentation of "Birdcalls". The results suggested that "The audio pronunciation of bird names" may be more effective for memory retention using the MoL. Conversely, there was an indication that auditory stimuli might interfered with the memorization or learning to novel insights into the method of presenting auditory stimuli.