Stroboscopic Training Improves Performance, Says Duke U. Study

Stroboscopic training, performing a physical activity while using eyewear that simulates a strobe-like experience, reportedly increases visual short-term memory retention, and the effects last for 24 hours. Participants in a Duke University study engaged in physical activities, such as throwing a baseball,  while using either specialized eyewear that limits vision to only brief snapshots or while using eyewear with clear lenses that provides uninterrupted vision. Participants from the Duke community, including varsity athletes, completed a computer-based visual memory test before and after the physical activities. The study found that participants who trained with the strobe eyewear gained a boost in visual memory abilities. Participants completed a memory test that required them to note the identity of eight letters of the alphabet that were briefly displayed on a computer screen. After a variable delay, participants were asked to recall one of the eight letters. On easy-level trials, the recall prompt came immediately after the letters disappeared, but on more difficult trials, the prompt came as late as 2.5 seconds following the display. Because participants did not know which letter they would be asked to recall, they had to retain all of the items in memory. Read more about the study.