When we try to memorize something, it consolidates better in the long term memory when the items to memorize have some meaning to us or are somewhat related with other items already known to us.For example, try to remember this number sequence:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
You actually needn't: You've seen a relation between the items and they're ordered. For your memory it's just like one single item: All numbers from 1 to 8. This is related to how or brain processes our information and chain pieces of it to form larger ones. These information pieces are called chunks.
But what happens if you want to memorize this sequence?
5, 1, 3, 8, 8, 1, 7, 2
It's mostly likely you forgot this sequence very quickly while still remember the first one several days after reading this post. It's apparently meaningless and your brain does not consider it of interest.
A mnemonic system is a method to give a meaning to a meaningless item using some sort of cue. There are plenty of them, and you can even create your ones. They also have some relation to metaphors and analogies, that will be explainer in future posts. Here I will explain the Peg system.
The Peg system
The Peg system is a very well known mnemonic. Basically you first pre-memorize a serie of items related to numbers (in this case) which you can later combine to form the desired item to memorize (in this case, the above meaningless sequence).
A Peg system which uses words (sound) and rhymes could be:
- 1-gun Visualize the first item being fired from a gun
- 2-shoe Visualize an association between the second thing and a shoe
- 3-tree Visualize the third item growing from a tree
- 4-door Visualize the 4th item associated with a door
- 5-hive Visualize the fifth item associated with a hive or with bees
- 6-bricks Visualize the sixth item associated with bricks
- 7-heaven Visualize the seventh item associated with heaven
- 8-weight (or height) Visualize the 8th item on a weight (or height) as if you are heavy (or high)
- 9-wine Visualize a glass containing the 9th item
- 10-hen Visualize the 10th item associated with a chicken.
So to memorize the above sequence 5, 1, 3, 8, 8, 1, 7, 2 you can think of a hive (5) being shot with a gun (1), falling of a tree (3) were someone left two weights (8, 8) he was using to training. This mad person shot again (another 1). Some of the bees died and went to heaven (7), whilst others took revenge and pursued the shooter who lost one shoe (2) during the chase.
The more the bizarre the story, the more chances we can remember it! Our brain likes unexpected things.
This is another Peg system based on objects shapes (object shapes resembles the numbers digit symbol in some way):
- 1-candle, straw, pencil, streetlamp, stick, leg, lighthouse, finger
- 2-swan, duck, goose, flamingo
- 3-sideways handlebar mustache, camel's hump (on a top), worm, snake, ostrich, butterfly, double chin, lips, heart, handcuffs, two hooks
- 4-sail, flag, camel's legs,
- 5-meat hook, cymbal and drum, wheelchair, pulley, sea horse
- 6-cherry, snail house, elephant's trunk, pipe, ram's horn, giraffe's neck (lifted right), golf club, combination lock, whistling device, cannon
- 7-cliff, hammer, boomerang, axe, scythe, gun, giraffe
- 8-snowman, hourglass, spectacles, two plates, two donuts, two buns, wheels of skate, winding key, shapely woman, two balls
- 9-balloon, hunting horn, lollipop, tadpole, tennis racket, comma (filled-in)
- 10-road sign and ball, lamppost with light, stick and donut, bat and ball, knife and plate
I have a very good auditive memory, so I'm more comfortable with the first peg system.
Tips
- Choose a peg system that's more suitable for me or I find more comfortable to work with.
- Create my on peg system! ... and see if it works.
Exercise
Do you remember the bizarre story about the bees? Can you (don't look above) recall the digit sequence now?
What about creating your own peg system?
References
Image Copyright is Creative Commons [Source]
No comments:
Post a Comment