strategies for memory improvement

strategies for memory improvement

1. organisation and cues

   • put your notes into sections with headings. headings can act as cues to help recall the text that follows.
   • forgetting is due to the wrong cue. so information is received if someone prompts you with the right cues

2. method of loci

   • selecting a familiar route (e.g. walking around your house)
     • place items to be remembered along this route
       • make images bizarre to be more rememberable
         • then take a mental walk around the locations so you can remember it all

3. tunes and rhythms

   • people can remember songs remarkably well and can be applied to learning other things, either with music or just a rhythm
     • example; ABC is to the tune of twinkle twinkle little star

4. acronyms

   • forming a word from the initial letters of the word to be remembered
     • example; ROY G. BIV colours of the rainbow

5. acrostic

   • forming a sentence using the initial letters of the words to be remembered
     • example; Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain, colours of the rainbow

6. mind maps & spider diagrams

   • make links between items

7. keyword system

   • have a foreign word you need to learn (e.g. mariposa-meaning 'butterfly')
     • find a word in English that sounds smililar (e.g. Mary's purse)
       • find a link/association (e.g. butterfly landing on marys purse)
   • used to learn a connection between any word and its meaning

8. evaluationn

   • bower et al
     • pps saw 112 words organised into categories or in a random order
       • recall was better with those who had the organised list