GOOD news for selfie addicts looking for a defence against accusations of vanity, as a new study suggests such photos are an excellent memory aid. 

Holidaymakers who snap off self-portrait photography while abroad are 40 per cent more likely to remember their holidays than those who shun the camera, according to research from holiday rentals site HomeAway. 

Which social media stream employed also had an impact, with Instagram users 24 per cent more likely than Facebook users to remember their breaks with clarity.

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Conducted by a psychologist and author Art Markman and a team of researchers at the University of Texas, the Science of Memories study interviewed hundreds of people from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy several times in the run up to, during and after their holidays.

It found that people who choose to take their work away with them are in danger of forgetting some holiday memories. Those who worked just one hour whilst sojourning were 43 per cent more likely to have trouble remembering their trips than those who worked less or not at all.

Professor Markman said: "Before this study, most of the psychological research on holidays focused on the mood and health benefits of going on a trip. The opportunity to investigate the science of holiday memories with HomeAway has yielded valuable insights about how such memories are created, from the scientific impact of selfies to surprising news about who it's best to holiday with."

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People who travelled with a mix of family and friends remembered their vacations at least 20 per cent better than those who travelled with just family, friends, in a couple, or alone. 

If someone is whisked away for a celebration such as a birthday, or if people are attending a friend's wedding or hen/stag do, the research revealed they were 69 per cent better at recalling the memories made on that holiday, and significantly better at recalling how they felt during important moments of their trip.

Holidaymakers who reported feeling happy and excited before their holidays were 73 per cent more likely to have excellent recall of their holiday memories versus those who felt other emotions, including stress, frustration, or even calmness.

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"Some people love planning holidays - other people dread them," said Markman. "This research suggests that there is a significant cognitive advantage for people who let themselves get excited prior to their trips: they remember their holidays better than those who don't."