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May/June 2002
Memorization Tips: Elaboration and Association
Last month we looked at NeuroMod's* on-line tool for learning peg
words. NeuroMod also contains helpful information regarding basic mnemonic techniques of
elaboration and association (for more details, visit the NeroMod site ):
"All... mnemonics are based on elaboration and association, which is
why we start out with these. Elaboration adds more meaning to a word,
while association makes sure that two words are thoroughly linked
together in memory.
"Elaboration is the most basic of all memory techniques. The more
meaning your are able to give to the thing-to-be-remembered the more
successful you will be in recalling it later. It has been shown that
it is more effective to emphasize higher-levels of meaning.
* Converting the word or name into meaningful words that sound similar
* Bizarre, humorous, or other memorable visualization of the words
* Involvement of other modalities in the mental image, such as feeling,
hearing, and smelling
* Make the words active and vivid!
"Giving meaning to a word or a name is only half the work, in most
cases this meaning must be attached to something. With a face goes a
name: they must be associated in memory. The better you become at
association, the more successful your general memory skills will be.
"Crucial for the success of a good association is to have the two
words (concepts) interact as much as possible. It is not sufficient to
have them merely stand side by side. The more they form a unique
relationship, the better. This is best achieved by singling out
aspects they have in common or that could interact in a certain
context. Selecting a good context often is the key to a strong
association.
"Association ties words or concepts together. This process is
stimulated by:
* Imagining how concepts interact
* Singling out aspects they have in common
* Finding contexts in which common aspects can logically interact
* Placing the concepts in that context
* Further reinforcing their interaction
(Click here to see examples of elaboration and association )
(*Note: Reference to this site is being made simply to point out the information
contained there. SoftLore, LLC does not have an affiliation with this site, or
any other site that we refer to in our "Memorization Tips", nor does this
reference imply an endorsement of any products, services, or theories associated
with the site)
Do you have some favorite tips and techniques for memorizing? Please
feel free to share them with us.
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