Ways retengion Enhance Memory Learning Objectives Recognize and strategoes memory-enhancing straategies, including mnemonics, rehearsal, chunking, and peg-words. Self-care education for diabetes is strwtegies by the Memory retention strategies fall Promote a healthy heart the start of the Forgetting Curve see below. Personal Development. Get more sleep. Many of these mental models are formed in childhood, and a lot of it is positive. Interfaces Beta. Just like logos or icons, image clues can trigger your brain to think about complex ideas.

Memory retention strategies -

This is because the peg words provide direct access to the memorized items, regardless of order. How did Simon Reinhard remember those digits? Essentially he has a much more complex system based on these same principles. For example, imagine mentally walking through the home where you grew up and identifying as many distinct areas and objects as possible.

Simon has hundreds of such memory palaces that he uses. Next, for remembering digits, he has memorized a set of 10, images. Every four-digit number for him immediately brings forth a mental image. So, for example, might recall Michael Jackson.

When Simon hears all the numbers coming at him, he places an image for every four digits into locations in his memory palace.

He can do this at an incredibly rapid rate, faster than 4 digits per 4 seconds when they are flashed visually, as in the demonstration at the beginning of the module. As noted, his record is digits, recalled in exact order.

Simon was able to do this in Again, he uses his memory palaces, and he encodes groups of cards as single images. Based on the information presented in this chapter, here are some strategies and suggestions to help you hone your study techniques Figure 2.

The key with any of these strategies is to figure out what works best for you. Figure 2. Memory techniques can be useful when studying for class. credit: Barry Pousman.

Play the memory solitaire game. Then play game 2: Tell Yourself a Story. Did your memory improve the second time? Why or why not? chunking: organizing information into manageable bits or chunks elaborative rehearsal: thinking about the meaning of the new information and its relation to knowledge already stored in your memory levels of processing: information that is thought of more deeply becomes more meaningful and thus better committed to memory memory-enhancing strategy: a technique to help make sure information goes from short-term memory to long-term memory mnemonic device: memory aids that help organize information for encoding.

Improve this page Learn More. Skip to main content. Search for:. Ways to Enhance Memory Learning Objectives Recognize and apply memory-enhancing strategies, including mnemonics, rehearsal, chunking, and peg-words.

Link to Learning Try this letter memorization activity to employ a memory-enhancing strategy. Try It. Memory Test Play the memory solitaire game. Think It Over Create a mnemonic device to help you remember a term or concept from this module.

What is an effective study technique that you have used? Glossary chunking: organizing information into manageable bits or chunks elaborative rehearsal: thinking about the meaning of the new information and its relation to knowledge already stored in your memory levels of processing: information that is thought of more deeply becomes more meaningful and thus better committed to memory memory-enhancing strategy: a technique to help make sure information goes from short-term memory to long-term memory mnemonic device: memory aids that help organize information for encoding.

Did you have an idea for improving this content? Licenses and Attributions. Many of them also rely on images, senses, emotions, and patterns — which are key features in the wider memory techniques that have been developed. Our brains are built to learn like this. No wonder we find it much harder to remember information presented as black-and-white words on a page!

Think of mnemonics as ways to boost what your brain can do anyway. Often, the information you want is in there "somewhere" — you just need a tool to help you reach it quickly when it counts.

Exploring the common features of well-used memory techniques will help you to choose the most effective strategy for you. Let's look at the four key aspects: images , senses , emotions , and patterns.

Research has shown that our memories are activated more strongly by images than words. We're particularly good at recognizing pictures we've seen before. Think about how many signs, symbols and logos you can identify in a split second.

You can easily start inventing your own images to help you remember. To remember a task you need to do in the future, you could try creating a vivid mental image of it actually happening. And when you meet someone new, spend a few seconds picturing something — anything — that might give you a visual reminder of their name.

Your brain can combine multiple senses to create strong memories. Some of our most powerful recollections are encoded through smells, tastes and touch sensations, as much as through sights and sounds. Use as many senses as you can to learn and remember.

Don't just picture the things to buy at the grocery store: imagine smelling, touching and tasting them, too. Imagine that you're learning about a new concept at work.

You could think about building a physical model of it. Give your memory several different sensory routes back to the original information. Even important and serious material can be given a humorous twist in your imagination.

Make your imagery exciting, weird and wonderful, and you've got a much better chance of remembering it. Be playful and mischievous. It's no coincidence that rude rhymes are very difficult to forget!

To remember an important idea that comes up in a meeting, highlight what's most exciting about it — or challenging, surprising or funny. When you meet someone new, spend a moment thinking about whether their name seems to "match" their character.

You give information a pattern when you use rhymes and rhythms, or turn sets of letters into mnemonic words or phrases. Examples of this are the SMART Goals acronym, which is a mnemonic for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound; and the phrase Every Good Boy Deserves Football, for remembering the notes on the lines of the treble clef, EGBDF.

As you'll see below, some memory techniques use spatial patterns to store vast amounts of information. To remember a telephone number for a short time, you could repeat it to yourself rhythmically.

Or, when you're taking notes, experiment with different ways of organizing and arranging your words on the page. As you start inventing mnemonics of your own, keep in mind three more principles: imagination , association and location.

Imagination : create images that are vivid, engaging, and rich enough to jog your memory. You could be visualizing a real situation in order to remember and re-use it, or inventing one that will help you write, say or do something in the future.

Association : make the most of your brain's habit of linking ideas. Separate pieces of information can be linked so that you remember them all.

That might help you remember all the items to pack for a trip, for example. Or, two ideas can be paired, so that one thing reminds you of another. Using that strategy, you might think of your colleague holding a microphone to recall his name is Mike. Location : use your memories of real-world places to help you remember new material.

Since you can easily remember the layout of your home, why not use the rooms to "hold" items from the list you're trying to learn? The three principles above have been developed into a number of specific memory techniques.

They can be divided into three main categories:. Image clues: these are memory tools in which ideas are represented by pictures.

Just like logos or icons, image clues can trigger your brain to think about complex ideas. Memorable, multi-sensory images are associated with others in pairs or sequences, or arranged in your "mind's eye" around familiar places.

Specific systems have been developed to "peg" new information onto ready-made images. Storytelling strategies: these are tools that capitalize on the fact that well-told stories are automatically memorable. Storytelling strategies allow you to link individual image clues into long chains, in order to remember lists, processes, and all the points you want to make in essays or presentations.

You can get an extra memory boost by choosing a setting that relates to your subject matter. Spatial systems: these are tools that let you use all the real-world journeys you know to store new information. Sleep-deprived mice experienced less dendritic growth following a learning task than well-rested mice.

So the next time you're struggling to learn new information, consider getting a good night's sleep after you study. Research suggests that both the Mediterranean and MIND diets may help prevent memory loss issues, and each of these dietary eating plans is rich in veggies, whole grains, and fish.

Many factors can contribute to memory issues, some of which include certain medical conditions, medication side effects, diet, head injury, and more.

Winerman L. Study smart. American Psychological Association. Manning JR, Kahana MJ. Interpreting semantic clustering effects in free recall.

Forrin ND, Macleod CM. This time it's personal: the memory benefit of hearing oneself. Cortis Mack C, Cinel C, Davies N, Harding M, Ward G. Serial position, output order, and list length effects for words presented on smartphones over very long intervals.

J Mem Lang. Yang G, Lai CS, Cichon J, Ma L, Li W, Gan WB. Sleep promotes branch-specific formation of dendritic spines after learning. National Institute on Aging. What do we know about diet and prevention of Alzheimer's disease? Do memory problems always mean Alzheimer's disease? By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book.

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Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. By Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book. Kendra Cherry, MSEd. Learn about our editorial process. Learn more. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.

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