memory techniques michael glenister. basic principles

Memory Techniques

Michael Glenister

Basic Principles

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Basic Principles

• Visual Memory is much more powerful than Verbal Memory

Basic Principles

• Visual Memory is much more powerful than Verbal Memory This is why it is much easier to remember a person’s face than their name

Basic Principles

• Visual Memory is much more powerful than Verbal Memory This is why it is much easier to remember a person’s face than their name

• Unusual things are much easier to remember than mundane things

Basic Principles

• Visual Memory is much more powerful than Verbal Memory This is why it is much easier to remember a person’s face than their name

• Unusual things are much easier to remember than mundane things

• It is easier to remember two things than just one.

Basic Principles

• Visual Memory is much more powerful than Verbal Memory This is why it is much easier to remember a person’s face than their name

• Unusual things are much easier to remember than mundane things

• It is easier to remember two things than just one. Essentially one can remind you of the other.

Now a little demo...

Hook Technique

• Used to memorize information given in any order to be recalled in any order

Hook Technique

• Used to memorize information given in any order to be recalled in any order

• Uses a ‘hook’ that represents the number of them item to be memorized and links that hook to the item by some kind of action (usually)

Hook Technique

• Used to memorize information given in any order to be recalled in any order

• Uses a ‘hook’ that represents the number of them item to be memorized and links that hook to the item by some kind of action (usually)

• When an item is not easily made into a visual image, use something that sounds like or reminds you of that item

Hook Technique

• There are many forms of hooks, eg. rhyming, pictorial, and mneumonic

• However you should come up with hooks that work for you. If a hook doesn’t make sense to you, then it will make recalling it and consequently that item very difficult

Rhyming Hooks

1 = gun 6 = sticks2 = shoe 7 = heaven3 = tree 8 = plate4 = floor 9 = vine5 = hive 10 = hen

While easy to remember, this is limited to 10 items since it’s hard to rhyme fourteen, fifteen, etc.

Pictorial hooks

1. Pencil 6. Elephant2. Swan 7. Jackknife3. Tricycle 8. Snowman4. Table 9. Balloon on a stick5. Star 10. Bat & ball

This can be continued as far as desired, eg. 11 = pair of skis, 12 = clock, 13 = baker’s dozen, etc.

Mnemonic hooks

• These require mastery of a technique linking consonant sounds to numbers. While challenging to learn, the technique offers you to develop hooks to over 1000

Eg. 1 – toe 6 - jaw 2 – neigh 7 - key 3 – ma 8 - fee 4 – ray 9 - pie 5 – law 0 - saw

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1.Swan 2.Tricycle 3.Table 4.Star 5.Elephant 6.Jackknife 7.Snowman 8.Balloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10.

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2.Tricycle 3.Table 4.Star 5.Elephant 6.Jackknife 7.Snowman 8.Balloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10.

1

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2. EsophagusTricycle 3.Table 4.Star 5.Elephant 6.Jackknife 7.Snowman 8.Balloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10.

2

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2. EsophagusTricycle 3. StomachTable 4.Star 5.Elephant 6.Jackknife 7.Snowman 8.Balloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10.

3

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2. EsophagusTricycle 3. StomachTable 4. Small IntestineStar 5.Elephant 6.Jackknife 7.Snowman 8.Balloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10. 4

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2. EsophagusTricycle 3. StomachTable 4. Small IntestineStar 5. Large IntestineElephant 6.Jackknife 7.Snowman 8.Balloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10. 5

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2. EsophagusTricycle 3. StomachTable 4. Small IntestineStar 5. Large IntestineElephant 6. RectumJackknife 7.Snowman 8.Balloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10.

6

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2. EsophagusTricycle 3. StomachTable 4. Small IntestineStar 5. Large IntestineElephant 6. RectumJackknife 7. AnusSnowman 8.Balloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10.

7

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2. EsophagusTricycle 3. StomachTable 4. Small IntestineStar 5. Large IntestineElephant 6. RectumJackknife 7. AnusSnowman 8. LiverBalloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10.

8

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2. EsophagusTricycle 3. StomachTable 4. Small IntestineStar 5. Large IntestineElephant 6. RectumJackknife 7. AnusSnowman 8. LiverBalloon/Stick 9. Gall BladderBat & ball 10.

9

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. MouthSwan 2. EsophagusTricycle 3. StomachTable 4. Small IntestineStar 5. Large IntestineElephant 6. RectumJackknife 7. AnusSnowman 8. LiverBalloon/Stick 9. Gall BladderBat & ball 10. Pancreas

10

Now its your turn...

Pencil 1.Swan 2.Tricycle 3.Table 4.Star 5.Elephant 6.Jackknife 7.Snowman 8.Balloon/Stick 9.Bat & ball 10.

Link Technique

• This technique is for remembering things given in order, and to be recalled in order

Link Technique

• This technique is for remembering things given in order, and to be recalled in order

• This is much like constructing a movie, frame by frame, where you visually link each item to the next item by some kind of (unusual) action

Link Technique

• This technique is for remembering things given in order, and to be recalled in order

• This is much like constructing a movie, frame by frame, where you visually link each item to the next item by some kind of (unusual) action

• You might even find this easier to do with your eyes closed (just try not to fall asleep...)

Link Technique

We’re going to try to memorize this list of apparently unrelated words. Most people would just read the words to themselves over and over, and consequently would only remember the first few and the last few.Happy face, books, cassettes, golf course, aerobics class, tank, boy scout, pool cue, model, bag

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the board

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the boardNow link it using a weird action to books

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the boardNow link it using a weird action to booksNow to cassettes

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the boardNow link it using a weird action to booksNow to cassettes

golf course

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the boardNow link it using a weird action to booksNow to cassettes

golf courseaerobics class

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the boardNow link it using a weird action to booksNow to cassettes

golf courseaerobics classtank

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the boardNow link it using a weird action to booksNow to cassettes

golf courseaerobics classtank boy scout

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the boardNow link it using a weird action to booksNow to cassettes

golf courseaerobics classtank boy scoutpool cue

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the boardNow link it using a weird action to booksNow to cassettes

golf courseaerobics classtank boy scoutpool cue model

Link technique

Imagine a happy face on the boardNow link it using a weird action to booksNow to cassettes

golf courseaerobics classtank boy scoutpool cue model bag

Now its your turn...

Actually those words weren’t random

They are suggestions for self-improvementHappy face = smile Tank = Be thankfulBooks = read Boy Scout – help othersCassettes = listen Pool Cue – no exCUsEsGolf Course = take coursesAerobics class = exerciseModel = Have good role modelsBag – “in the bag” Take pride in your achievements

Link Technique

• The neat thing about the link technique is that it works forwards and backwards

Link Technique

• The neat thing about the link technique is that it works forwards and backwards

• It can also be extended indefinitely. As long as your links between items are strong, you could do 100’s or 1000’s of items

Link Technique

• The neat thing about the link technique is that it works forwards and backwards

• It can also be extended indefinitely. As long as your links between items are strong, you could do 100’s or 1000’s of items

• Using the mnemonic/number technique some people memorize pi to hundreds or thousands of decimal places...why? Good question...

Hook + Link Technique

• The real power of these two techniques is putting them together. With practice and preparation, you can memorize a page of notes in about 5 minutes

Hook + Link Technique

• The real power of these two techniques is putting them together. With practice and preparation, you can memorize a page of notes in about 5 minutes

• The hook technique organizes things in a specific order. Each hooked item then becomes the beginning of a linked chain of keywords about that item

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1.

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. Mouth

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. Mouth -> Mechanical digestion -> Teeth -> Chemical digestion -> Saliva -> etc.

Swan 2.

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. Mouth -> Mechanical digestion -> Teeth -> Chemical digestion -> Saliva -> etc.

Swan 2. Esophagus

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. Mouth -> Mechanical digestion -> Teeth -> Chemical digestion -> Saliva -> etc.

Swan 2. Esophagus -> Peristalsis

Tricycle 3.

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. Mouth -> Mechanical digestion -> Teeth -> Chemical digestion -> Saliva -> etc.

Swan 2. Esophagus -> Peristalsis

Tricycle 3. Stomach

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. Mouth -> Mechanical digestion -> Teeth -> Chemical digestion -> Saliva -> etc.

Swan 2. Esophagus -> Peristalsis

Tricycle 3. Stomach -> Pepsin -> HCl -> Mucus...

Example – Digestive System

Pencil 1. Mouth -> Mechanical digestion -> Teeth -> Chemical digestion -> Saliva -> etc.

Swan 2. Esophagus -> Peristalsis

Tricycle 3. Stomach -> Pepsin -> HCl -> Mucus...And so on...

And now the moment

You’ve all been waiting for:

Memorizing Names

Memorizing Names

• Unfortunately this one takes a bit more work• You can improve your own recall without

using the following technique just by paying more attention when you meet someone for the first time. Focus on the person, and repeat their name back to them. In other words show an interest, rather than “Hi, nice to meet you, I’m...”

Memorizing Names

• Make a mental note of something that stands out to you on the person’s face, eg. nose, eyes, eyebrows, etc. Hair often changes, so it isn’t always a good choice.

• Visually link the facial feature to an object, or objects, that reminds you of the person’s name.

Example = Me

• Perhaps my nose stands out to you

Example = Me

• Perhaps my nose stands out to you• My name is Michael, or Mike

Example = Me

• Perhaps my nose stands out to you• My name is Michael, or Mike• It sounds like mic (or microphone)

Example = Me

• Perhaps my nose stands out to you• My name is Michael, or Mike• It sounds like mic (or microphone)• So imagine my nose is, or has hanging from it,

a microphone

Example = Me

• Perhaps my nose stands out to you• My name is Michael, or Mike• It sounds like mic (or microphone)• So imagine my nose is, or has hanging from it,

a microphone• Next time you see me, you’ll see the nose, and

be reminded of the microphone, and remember my name is Michael

Common names/Images

• Obviously Inderjit is harder to memorize than John, but:

Adam = a dam Alice = laceBarry = berry Barbara = barberDavid = sling Heidi = hideHarry = hairy Marie = merry

Yes, it takes effort...

• In a classroom setting, I get my class lists before I meet my class. So I spend a few minutes writing my images beside each students name. That way I can use them when I take attendance the first time, or give the class busywork, and go around meeting each student individually

• Nothing like their expressions when you name everyone correctly 15 minutes into class

Some other examples

Barry Barbara Eric Julie

Graham Wendy Steve Heidi

Can you name them?

Now lets try the entire class

For your interest:• The mnemonic consonant/number system is as follows:

0 - s, z, soft-c - remember as 'z is first letter of zero'1 - d, t, th - remember as letters with 1 downstroke2 - n - remember as having 2 downstrokes3 - m - has three downstrokes4 - r - imagine a 4 and an R glued together back-to-back5 - L - imagine the 5 propped up against a book end (L)6 - j, sh, soft-ch, dg, soft-g - g is 6 rotated 180 degrees.7 - k, hard-ch, hard-c, hard-g, ng - imagine K as two 7srotated and glued together8 - f, v - imagine the bottom loop of the 8 as an eFfluentpipe discharging waste (letter image of F inalphabet system)9 - p, b - b as 9 rotated 180 degrees.

Example

• So if you wanted to remember a number, say 604-588-4721

Example

• So if you wanted to remember a number, say 604-588-4721

• This corresponds to the consonantssh s r l f v r c n d

Example

• So if you wanted to remember a number, say 604-588-4721

• This corresponds to the consonantssh s r l f v r c n d

• Add vowels to createshoes-rail-fever-candy

Example

• So if you wanted to remember a number, say 604-588-4721

• This corresponds to the consonantssh s r l f v r c n d

• Add vowels to createshoes-rail-fever-candy

• Use link technique to memorize them in order