Unique events improve episodic richness, enhance mood, and alter the perception of time during isolation

Living in isolation is associated with a lack of stimulating experiences, which negatively impacts quality of life and increases risk of advancing cognitive decline for older adults. We examined how engaging in unique events would enhance memory and improve well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, a period characterized by social isolation and monotonous daily experiences lacking diversity. Over 8-weeks during lockdowns, 18 healthy older adults used a smartphone-based application called “HippoCamera”, capturing a total of 670 unique and routine events with short audio-video cues that were later replayed to prompt memory. As expected, unique events were recalled in greater episodic detail relative to routine events. Importantly, unique events were related to increased positive affect, decreased boredom, and the perception of time moving faster. These findings highlight the benefit of unique experiences for both memory and well-being, as well as suggest future interventions to benefit older adults who tend to experience higher levels of social isolation.