Elderly people’s preferences regarding reminiscence material

The aim of the study was to compare different types of materials that evoke memories in a sample of Polish seniors. We applied stimuli that referred to the period of reminiscence, that is, to the period between the ages of 10 and 30 in the lives of the investigated individuals. The sample consisted of 121 people between the ages of 65 and 96 years, living in Trojmiasto (the Tri-city), a metropolitan area in northern Poland. The participants were presented with photographs, fragments of popular songs and musical compositions, as well as excerpts from well-known Polish movies. We also applied a memory game as a procedure for stimulating memory in the elderly. The subjects were asked to evaluate the attractiveness of the presented materials on five-point rating scales. It turned out that all of the applied stimuli were assessed positively (the mean ratings were slightly above 4). The most highly valued group of stimuli was the one with musical material. We also observed differences in the evaluation of the applied materials between the group of younger seniors (<73years) and older ones (>74years). The memories evoked under the influence of contact with the presented materials were, in the vast majority of cases, very positive. The obtained data make it possible to infer that materials that evoke memories from the period of reminiscence can improve both the subjects' memory functions, and their well-being.