Tricks to Aid Memory

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1022, 12 July 1930, Page 18

Tricks to Aid Memory

Word System Which Can Be Mastered By An Hour’s Study Enables Student to Perform Mysterious Feats

YIER memory often may play tricks on you. If so, there are tricks to help your memory. Practically everyone uses every day some

, kind of device to help to remember, for example, dates, numbers on houses, telephone numbers, monuments and trade-marks The success of advertising depends not only upon arousing attention, but also upon creating lasting impressions. Most high school and college work depends upon successful memorisation.

Many kinds of artificial, or formal, mnemonic devices have been developed. By means of some of these schemes seemingly amazing things can be done by almost any person of fair intelligence who is willing to devote two or three hours to mastering them.

Professor David Spence Hill presents in the "Scientific American” the details of a mnemonic system which he built upon the following two principues of psychology:

First, whatever, we learn must be related to something we know already. This principle is technically called the "doctrine of apperception.” Second, thoughts once vividly brought together in consciousness tend to persist. This is the principle of "association.”

I. The first nine words of the system §hown within the box begin with letters of the alphabet in numerical order. For example, A Is No. 1 of alphabet (Air); B is No. 2 (Bar); C is No. 3 (Car), and so on. In the first nine mnemonics the final R has no particular significance. 11. Final N always represents zero, including and after the tenth mnemo-

nic. For example, 10th mnemonic is Acorn, 20th mnemonic is Bun, 30th mnemonic is Can, 40th is Dun, 50th mnemonic is Emulsion.

111. Including and after the 10th! mnemonic, for the numerals, either j the initial or final A always stands ; for 1, B for 2, C for 3, D for 4, E for 5,j F for 6. G for 7, H for 8, I for 9, andj N for zero. For example, the 11th] mnemonic is Ambrosia: the 20tB is | Bun; the 25th is Bee, and so on. “The above facts,” Professor Hill says, “make it easy to fix permanently in mind the whole list of mnemonics, each in its proper number or order. After accomplishing this, then picture with as vivid imagina- | tion as possible, what each mnemonic stands for. Air, picture, for example, a tank of compressed air:- Bar, a pig iron bar: Car. a railroad box-car; Ear, your own right ear, and so on through the list, making up your own list of associations. Make each mental picture definite and vivid. About one hour of undisturbed, concentrated study should be sufficient for you to fix in mind this list of mnemonics.” Professor .Hill suggests the follow--1 ing simple experiment: Request a friend to write and to number, say 25 or 30 names'of simple objects, such as floor, tree, dog, clock, flower, house: that is, common nouns, only. Such words are easy to memorise after you have heard them read once, very slowly, with the number of each work spoken as it is read, and after you have pictured each word with a mnemonic in consecutive order. When the first word has been read (say "floor”) immediately imagine strongly, some picture connecting Air (mnemonic No. 1) with floor. Perhaps

you will visualise “an air tank in the middle of the floor." After definite!: forming this mental picture, say *ki! right” as the signal for the lecou word to be spoken. Suppose the ccenc word is "dog.” Thereupon inugltt vividly a dog being struck by an ins bar (Bar is mnemonic No. 2). Scy “all right” again, and then call tor the third word. Whatever it emus to you is to be similarly associated with the third mnemonic (Car). Tkis process is to be continued ihTMgbout the list. Afterward, when recalling a vord first ask for its number. Suppose cat says "Give number 2.” This miket you think of Bar (see the tsbta or “system”) and Bar makes yon think of dog. Thus you may repeat afttr one hearing a lfst of simple aimec oi objects, in any order backward w forward. “To one who does not undented the use of this formal device,” Fre fesor Hill says, “the perfarmsne* seems to be more wonderful than facts of every-day experience. “The ability thus acquired t. after one slow hearing, in any requested, a list of simple quite startling to the uniniti. to be able to do the stunt is the means for a surprising am fun at a social gathering, or at clubs. The performance well

to rcp* any oria words if uninitiated, sal unt is to amomte! dtae dot ■=