Donate possessions, not your memories.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

If your attic is full of stuff you no longer use but cannot bear to give away, a study from a trio of universities may offer a simple solution. Researchers found that people were more willing to give away unneeded goods that still had sentimental value if they were encouraged to take a photo of these items first, or find another way to preserve the memories. Such a strategy could help parents part with old baby clothes or help a former athlete give up a favorite basketball or hockey stick.

"We found that people are more willing to give up these possessions if we offer them a way to keep the memory and the identity associated with that memory," says study coauthor Rebecca Reczek, associate professor of marketing at Ohio State University, Columbus.

Reczek conducted the study with Karen Winterich, associate professor of marketing at Pennsylvania State University, State College, and Julie Irwin, professor of business at the University of Texas, Austin.

"The project got started when I realized I was keeping an old pair of basketball shorts just because they reminded me of beating...