Chapter 5D Flashcards
mnemonics
mnemonics
Mnemonics refer to techniques that can help an individual improve their ability to remember something, as
they assist the brain in encoding, organising, and recalling information.
Through associating words or phrases with other words, phrases, songs, or even places, we engage in
elaborative rehearsal which enhances our encoding, and therefore our retrieval of information.
acronyms
Acronyms: involve taking the first letters from multiple words or phrases to form a new word that is easier to remember. Each letter in this word then acts as a cue to enhance the efficiency of recall of these words.
For example, the acronym SAME is used in VCE Psychology as a cue to trigger the recall of the
words sensory, afferent, motor, and efferent, thereby assisting our memory.
Another common acronym is ROY G. BIV which represents the colours of the rainbow (red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet).
acrostics
are phrases made up of words beginning with the first letters of the words you want to
remember. As the first letters of each word in the acrostic phrase corresponds to the first letter of the key words you would like to remember, the letters in the phrase act as a cue to trigger the recall of
the desired words.
- For example, a common acrostic is the phrase “Never Eat Soggy Weetbix” which corresponds
to the cardinal directions in a clockwise order: North, East, South, West.
method of loci
this mnemonic device originates from the Ancient Greek times and involves
memorising information through placing each item to be remembered along an imaginary journey
or ‘memory palace. It essentially combines visualisation with spatial memory of environments that
are already familiar to an individual to aid in efficient recall.
For example, if an individual was attempting to remember the recipe for a chocolate cake, they
may imagine placing the chocolate on their bed, milk on their desk, and eggs near the cupboard
as they go on a mental journey around their room (a place familiar to them).
how does method of loci aid memory
By “mentally walking” through the familiar location, each
location acts as a retrieval cue that makes it easier to retrieve
the information that was “mentally placed” in that location
steps to creating and using method of loci
- Choose a ‘memory palace’
Visualise and imagine a familiar route or place (e.g. your house
or walk to school) - Create a path
Select memorable places/landmarks along the route and create
visual imagery for each item that needs to be remembered
Creating bizarre or funny mental imagery can help strengthen
the likelihood of the item being remembered (Varilias, 2019). - Encode the list
Link each item to one of the identified memorable landmarks. - Recall the list
Imagine walking through the familiar route and retrieve each
item by observing the items at each landmark.
limitations of mnemonics
Mnemonics work best for remembering information
that needs to be memorised but not necessarily
understood.
They are effective for information that can be put
into lists – it would not be very effective for
memorising a whole textbook!
Creating and using mnemonics is a more active,
effortful and effective process than the use of simple
repetition, therefore it requires more conscious
effort and can be a time-consuming process
sung narratives
as we know, our short-term memory can only hold approximately 5-9 units of
information. Singing allows us to create bigger chunks of information
- for example, you might
remember an entire line or rhyming verse as opposed to storing each word in the song separately in
your short-term memory. The auditory dimensions of songs further aids in the encoding of information
as we can associate the words of a song with a certain beat, tempo, or melody. This method of
sharing and encoding memories has been used for thousands of years by cultures with strong oral
traditions.
mnemonics used by oral traditions
- Oral traditions are practices in which knowledge, stories,
and customs are preserved and shared through spoken
word and movement. - They are a great part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
cultures, with knowledge systems, stories, and customs
being passed down through generations for thousands of
years without the need for written communication of the
knowledge. - Sung narratives and songlines are two common approaches
associated with mnemonics used in oral traditions.
songlines
Songlines are memory codes that have been used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for tens of
thousands of years. songlines can be seen as an effective means of storing and sharing memories.
- Firstly, songlines function as sung narratives which strengthens the ability to encode information, and the
repetition of this information is a form of elaborative rehearsal that further ingrains the information in one’s
mind.
- Secondly, songlines trace journeys and describe how a traveller should respectfully make a journey across
Country. They typically describe features that the traveller should pay attention to so that they know they are
going in the right direction. By referencing distinctive landmarks and giving them certain characteristics
and associations within the sung narrative, songlines make the information much more memorable and
easier to retrieve.
- Furthermore, the narrative of these songlines have broader cultural significance which created long-term
semantic memories that can be passed on through generations.
similarities and differences of songlines and method of loci
Similarities
* Use location as a retrieval cue (pairing place and information)
* Make information more elaborate
* Organise new information into a cohesive ‘narrative’ or whole
* Both can use familiar locations
Differences
Compared to method of loci, songlines:
* Use both familiar and unfamiliar locations
* More deeply tied to the landscape
* Much more elaborate as they also involve song and movement
* More complex stories as they involve larger locations
* Stories that are sung
* Designed for permanent memory
* Use more layering of knowledge
* Created by communities, not just individuals
* Invoke more vivid and emotionally charged stories
