Memory Improvement

Memory Improvement

1. Verbal Mnemonics

   • Acronym, acrostic, rhymes, chunking
   • Evaluation
     • Gruneberg: survey from psychology students revising for exams. 30% of students used mnemonics in their revision, 'first letter verbal' ones like acronyms and acrostics being the most popular.
     • Glidden: found verbal mnemonics were effective in children with learning disabilities. However, their effectiveness on a control group 12 months later was no longer evident.

2. Visual Mnemonics

   • Method of Loci
     • Loci means 'places' and the method requires the learner to associate parts of the material to be recalled with different places (rooms in a familiar building) in the order that they are to be recalled.
     • Evaluation
       • O'Hara: found training in the use of mnemonic techniques such as the method of loci has long-term memory benefits for older adults.
   • Keyword Method: Atkinson & Raugh
     • Used when trying to associate two pieces of information.
     • Evaluation
       • Atkinson: found that participants trained in the use of the keyword method learned significantly more Russian vocab than a control group who were not.
   • Mind maps