Neural Mechanisms of Memory Formation for Tailored Messages: A Neuroimaging Study
通过神经影像技术，研究了定制化营养信息相比通用信息在记忆编码和提取阶段如何增强大脑活动，对健康传播和广告设计有参考价值。
The health communication literature suggests that messages designed to promote healthy behaviors through tailored content (i.e., tailored messages) are better remembered than generic, one-size-fits-all communications (i.e., untailored messages). However, no research has yet investigated which specific stages of memory formation—namely, encoding (i.e., the process of selecting contextual information and creating a mental representation) and/or retrieval (i.e., accessing and recalling stored information)—are enhanced by tailored interventions. Leveraging psychological theories of message persuasion and using neuroimaging tools (namely, functional magnetic resonance imaging), the current study examined the brain activity of 29 individuals with unhealthy eating habits while they were exposed to and freely reimagined tailored and untailored nutritional messages. The results showed that tailored messages elicited greater activation in brain networks associated with memory encoding (i.e., in the anterior and posterior hippocampus). Moreover, during the reimagining phase, participants exhibited stronger activation in brain networks related to memory retrieval (i.e., in the precuneus, angular gyrus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus). These findings suggest that tailored interventions are beneficial not only for maximizing initial selection and comprehension of nutritional information but also for improving information retention and therefore integration into individuals’ learning systems, potentially leading to behavioral changes.