memory strategies

memory strategies

1. mnemonic techniques

   • verbal mnemonics
     • focusing on words
     • an acronym is where word/ sentence is formed from the initial letters of other words
       • e.g. ROYGBIV (Roy G. Biv) used to remember colours of a rainbow
     • acrostic- poem/ sentence where the first letter in each line/word forms the item to be rembered
       • e.g. (M)y (V)ery (E)asy (M)ethod (J)ust (S)peeds (U)p (N)aming (P)lanets is used to remember the order of planets
     • Rhymes- groups of words with an identity and rhythm
       • e.g."30 days has September..."
     • Chunking-involves dividing a long string of information into memorable chunks
   • visual imagery memonics
     • loci
       • placing the objects visually within a memorable place such as your home
     • keyword method- Atkinson and Raugh 1975
       • used when trying to associate 2 pieces of information
         • e.g. when learning a foreign language- wanting to remember foreign word and English equivalent
     • spider diagrams and mindmaps
       • involve making notes of information in the form of drawing , usually a branching pattern
         • small sketches/doodles can be added as well as colour
           • each page of notes is therefore unique and distinctive

2. evaluation

   • research evidence of mnemonics
     • research on verbal mnemonics
       • the popularity of verbal mnemonics in a real-life setting was demonstrated in a study by Gruneberg (1973)
         • from a survey of psychology students revising for final exams, he discovered about 30% of students used mnemonics in their revision- with 'first letter' verbal mnemonics (such as acronyms and acrostics) being the most popular
       • Glidden et al. (1983) found verbal mnemonics were effective in children with learning disabilities, although their effectiveness in a control group was no longer evident 12 months later
     • Research on visual imagery mnemonics
       • effectiveness of loci for improving memory has been demonstrated in a variety of studies
         • O'Hara et al. (2007)
           • found that training in the use of mnemonic techniques such as the method of loci has long-term memory benefits for older adults, particularly those who continued to employ this technique after training
       • research on the keyword method has produce mixed results concerning itseffectivenes
         • E.g. Atkinson (1975) fond that ppts trained in the use of keywords learned significantly more Russian vocabulary than the control group who received no training in this method
           • but, the long-term advantage of the keyword technique is less well supported
     • limitations of mnemonic strategies
       • most studies have taken place in comparatively artificial, lab conditions using materials believed to be especially appropriate for the mnemonic strategies under tests
         • studies of real life classroom applications of these studies, however, show more mixed results
           • for example, although mnemonic strategies have been relatively successful for teaching foreign language vocabulary, they have yet to be shown to be effective in helping students to actually speak foreign languages better (Slavin 2005)
   • explaining how mnemonic techniques work
     • another way of assessing the value of memory improvement techniques is by attempting to explain how they might work
     • the role of organisation
       • by organising data we establish links the help recall
         • word associations and visual images create links or associations- memory essentially involves making associations in the brain
           • normally, the brain remembers new information through a self-organising process that builds associations among the most naturally fitting pieces of information
       • organisation also refers to literally putting items in order, such as writing notes in a clear hierarchy
         • it's the same as trying to find things in a room- if it is a mess then it's harder to find them than if everything was neatly in order- memory works in the same way, if it is organised, it's easier to find information
       • the benefit of organisation was shown in a study by Bower et al (1969)
         • ppts given 112 words to learn. If the words were organised into conceptual hierarchies, recall was 2-3 x better than if the words were presented in random order
     • the role of elaborate rehearsal
       • memory research has shown that enduring memories are created through the process of elaboration
         • mnemonic techniques make us elaborate the information to be remembered. E.g. when creating a mind map or developing the loci method
           • the amount of rehearsal is important (maintenance rehearsal) but the nature of rehearsal (elaboration) is more important
     • dual coding hypothesis
       • Paivio (1971) proposed that words and images are separately processed
         • concreter words, which can be made into images, are double encoded in memory. They are coded once in verbal symbols and once as image-based symbols. This double coding increases the likelihood that they will be remembered
           • Paivio called this the dual coding hypothesis