How memory can be improved

Practical implications of
memory research

How memory can be improved

The following makes a distinction between ways of improving STM (short term memory) span and LTM (long term memory). Show how memory includes encoding, storage and retrieval. Stress that memory techniques can only work on encoding and retrieval.


STM methods of improvement		the limitations of STM and how chunking can work

Miller (1956) 'The Magic Number Seven Plus or Minus Two'. In this paper Miller suggests how the capacity can be increased through the use of chunking. Each slot in STM can hold only one bit or unit of information therefore seven individual letters would fill the store - additional letters would lead to displacement. However if the seven letters were chunked into a single word then a word would equal one unit only, leaving six slots free.

Applying rules or codes can also increase recall by adding meaning to otherwise meaningless material:

	S	A	V	A	O
	R	E	E	E	G
	U	R	S	Y	A
	O	O	D	N	S
The rule is read from the bottom left hand corner!	F	C	N	E	R

Other methods

a letters into words (see above)

b converting 1066 into date, string of 28 numbers could be converted into seven dates.

1945	1856	1715	1642	1066	1950	1801	=
1945185617151642106619501801

c using rule to organise information

	2		2		3
1		2		3		etc	=
14916253642106619501801

nb these three techniques involve the elaboration or reduction
of information through the way we encode

Example for remembering the order of the colours of the spectrum:

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet

reduction

elaboration

= ROYGBIV

= Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain (initial letter mnemonic)

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