Memory Strategies
Fight Back Against Forgetting
Craig Vattiat
Content Credit: Walter Pauk,
Be Thankful for Memory
It does important
things. Allows us to:
•
Develop relationships
•Speak languages
•
Play instruments and sports
•Share cultural traditions
•
Share national and religious
identities
•
Drive
Bye-Bye!
Forgetting starts instantly! It’s part of being human. Frustrating and discouraging especially when we put
work into learning/remembering.
Reading: An experiment showed after reading a
textbook section, 46% was forgotten after the first day and at two weeks nearly 80% was forgotten.
Listening. Two weeks after a lecture, the listeners had
forgotten more than 90% of the information.
Flashbulb Memories
• Some memories are
especially vivid.
• Ex: Sept. 11
Attack, JFK
assassination,
etc.
• Often are
especially happy
or tragic
Why does forgetting happen?
1) Fading theory (decay) - Use it or lose
it. Like a path in a meadow. If it’s not
traveled enough, it grows over.
2) Retrieval theory - If information isn’t
organized, our brains can’t retrieve it.
Like a dirty room where nothing can be
found.
3) Interference theory - Memories are
forced out by other memories. If you
don’t like or are bored with what you’ve
learned, you sweep it away. Here,
Memory
Similar to a computer:
Encoding (getting it into the brain)
•
the processing of information into the
memory system
Storage (retaining it)
•
the retention of encoded information
over time
Retrieval (getting it back out)
•
process of getting information out of
How does Memory Work?
What Affects Memory?
Stress
Exercise
Sleep
Distractions
Time
Effort
Rehearsal
Avoid pseudo-forgetting (Pay
attention!)
You have commit to getting it right the first time. Tell
yourself you're going to learn it now.
Pseudo means phony or false.
“I forgot” the: joke, name, phone number, fact. You might think you've forgotten something when
actually, you never really learned it in the first place. It’s phony forgetting.
“A man must get a thing before he can forget it.” –
Create Interest
Find a reason to remember and pay
attention. You’ll have a much better
chance of remembering.
•
Is it to earn an A?
•
Is it to just learn?
•
Is it interesting?
•
Will this knowledge help you in some way
later on?
Be Selective
You can’t remember everything.
If you tried, it would take much longer to memorize.
It would be unreasonable to try. Focus on learning the main
concepts first and working on details later and even leaving details and examples behind.
Not everything is of equal
Build on your Basic Background
What you are learning only makes
sense because of what you already
have learned.
How do we do this:
• Give basic classes the attention they
deserve
• Make a conscious effort to link what you
learn to what you already know.
• Ask teachers to explain what you don’t
understand.
Types of Encoding
We encode information in 3 ways:
•
Semantic (Meaning/Definition)
•
Acoustic (Sound)
•
Visual (Images)
Use these to your advantage when
Experiment 1: Remember as many
of the following numbers as you can:
1776198414922017
Experiment 2: Remember as many
of the following letters as you can:
XFBISATMTVPHDX
1. Organize Information for
Encoding (Use meaning)
TNZIGEYCAEBIORMTNUERFAYANMEHIYGOI
You can remember anything if you organize it.
(See above)
Experiment 1 and 2 demonstrate chunking
Chunking: Breaking large lists into smaller ones.
Brain can handle a list of seven items +or- two.
(G.A. Miller, 1956)
Real-life application: break a reading into
Experiment 3
Slate Diamond Sapphire
Bronze Lead Aluminum
Iron Marble Silver
Emerald Steel Brass
Gold Limestone Ruby
Granite Platinum Copper
Stone Gems Metals Precious
Metals
Slate Emerald Aluminum Bronze Marble Ruby Steel Silver Limestone Diamond Brass Gold
Granite Sapphire Lead Platinum Iron
Organizing for Encoding Cont’d.
Experiment 3 demonstrates hierarchies
• When things are organized, they are easier to
keep track of. Try to see how ideas relate to one another.
• Organize knowledge under narrower concepts/
headings
Ex: Textbooks are divided into sections, headings and sub-headings for easier retention.
Ex: Computer files are put into folders of different categories.
Ex: China notes graphic organizers
Use Mnemonic Devices
A mnemonic is a device used as an
aid in remembering. This helps to
give meaning.
Associations: connection what you already know to what you’re trying to learn. Creates a bridge for
information retrieval.
Example: Sardinia is an island close to Italy. You could think of sardines on an Italian pizza in order to
Other Mnemonics
Acronyms/Acronymic Sentences: help to learn a list of items.
• Acronym Examples:
• HOMES for 5 Great Lakes= Huron, Ontario, Michigan,
Erie, Superior
• ROY G BIV for the color spectrum = Red, Orange, Yellow,
Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet
• Acronymic Sentence Examples:
• My Very Earthy Mother Just Served Us Nachos = Names
and Order of Planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)
• Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally = Order of Operations
Experiment 4
Custard-Lumber Princess-Scissors Jail-Clown Mountain-Candy
Ivy-Lake Stapler-Flag Bear-Ice Cream Diamond-Stroller Computer-Plane Frisbee-Hanger
Experiment 4 Continued
Scissors-
Bear-Lake-
Flag-Diamond-
Jail-Mountain-
Lumber-Book-
Cake-2. Use Imagery (Encode with
Pictures)
Experiment 4 demonstrates visual
encoding.
Your brain is good at forming images
Ways to Encode With Imagery
Put diagrams, sketches, graphics into our notes.
Create graphic organizers to meaningfully
organize info.
• Charts, webs, timelines, etc.
Method of Loci (visual)
• Ancient Greece method of memorization linking items to be
3. Encode with Acoustics
(use sound)
Rhymes (Has to do with acoustic encoding)
• Righty tighty, lefty loosy
• In 1492 Columbus, sailed the ocean blue.
• 30 Days have September, April, June and November
Pegwords (acoustic and visual)
• Used to help memorize numbered items
• Each number 1-10 has a corresponding pegword. Ex: 1 = run, 2 = shoe
3 = tree, etc.
• Link the pegword to the thing you’re trying to remember by creating an
image in your mind that ties those things together.
Ex: six elements of a contract – offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity, genuine agreement, legality,
1. I picture a persons running to offer an old lady some help.
Recitation (Auditory)
Verbalize what you are learning. It
Distribute Study
Consolidate learning - study in
relatively short periods broken up by
rest intervals to help the information
stick. Review often!
Called Spacing Effect (Bjork, 1999;
Demptster 1988)
The longer the space between
review, the better the retention.
Spaced study beat cramming
Ebbinghaus’ Retention
Curve
20 15 10 5 08 16 24 32 42 53 64
