Mnemonic devices Flashcards
Define: mnemonic device
Techniques for improving and enhancing memory
Do mnemonic devices organise new information into a cohesive whole?
Yes, retrieval of part of the information usually assists in the retrieval of the rest.
Define: acronym
Pronounceable words made from the first letters of a sequence of words. Eg. ANZAC (A-Australia, N-new, Z-Zealand, A-army, C-corps)
Do acronyms have to be pronounceable?
YES (otherwise abbreviation only) but they don’t have to be real
How do acronyms aid in retrieval?
individual letters of the acronym act as retrieval aids for the words to be remembered.
Define: acrostic
: creates verbal associations for items to be remembered by constructing phrases in which the first letter of each word corresponds to the first letter of the words being remembered. Eg. monkeys eat peanut butter (meth, eth, prop, but)
How do acrostics aid in retrieval?
First letters act as retrieval aids for the words to be remembered.
When are acrostics especially useful?
When words must be remembered in a sequential order.
Define: narrative chaining
linking otherwise unrelated items together (chaining) to form a meaningful story (narrative) Eg. paper dog couch bed socks – the paper was eaten by my dog, who was sitting on the couch. I got out of bed and put on my socks to reprimand him.
In narrative chaining, does the order of words presented have to reflect the order of the words in the story?
YES
What is meant by mnemonics making new inforamtion more elaborate?
Creates meaningful links for the info to be remembered. This allows info to fit better into LTM - enhancing its organisation.
Mnemonics organise new information into _____
A cohesive whole - retrieval of part of the info usually assists in the retrieval of the rest
• Verbal mnemonics provide retrieval cues which allow us to retrieve information…
in the correct order
Exam question: how do mnemonics improve retrieval of info?
They make new info more elaborate - meaningful links to LTM enhance the organisation of it in memory
Provide retrieval cues to allow us to retrieve info in the correct order
Organise info into a cohesive whole
