[ad_1]
The Association Technique can be a helpful tool to help you memorize many seemingly unrelated items or ideas. Association is a powerful memory aid. We all experience sensory stimuli that remind us of something else. The smell of fresh baked bread might remind you of your mom's great apple pie. Hearing the end of the "Sesame Street" theme song might remind you of your wonderful pre-school teacher.
The Association Technique connects the items or ideas we want to remember to one visual theme. Recent hemispheric brain research has proved the power of associations. Our brains act as computer file folders, slotting newly learned information in the same file as already-learned information that fits within that same file. This Association Technique connects the new information you want to remember with existing information that you already know, much like our brain file folders do. If we take the time to organize new information in same way as our brains, we can improve our retention of that information.
Directions
Select a visual theme in which to place clearly objects that represents the main idea or "title" of the majority of objects, or key words, to be remembered. Place the numeric symbol that represents how many items you need to remember somewhere in your visual. Substitute any abstract objects with more concrete ones. For example, substituting the yellow "Have a Nice Day" smiling face for the abstract "happiness" would be a much more memorable object. Connect the object or key word to one part of the common visual. If the exact order is important, connect each in clockwise order.
Example
Suppose you needed to remember the following errands for Saturday afternoon:
-Pick Up the cleaning.
-Mail Kenny's birthday package.
-Buy A jar of mayonnaise.
-Buy A three-pound can of coffee.
-Pick Up a dozen roses for Mom.
-Call For reservations at Luigi's Italian Restaurant.
-Make A doctor's appointment for your yearly physical.
Picture a large orange "seven" standing up in the middle of a green, grassy field. Picture yourself leaning up against the "seven" with a plastic bag containing your cleaning on your right arm and a birthday package with a bright red bow hanging from your left arm. Then, picture your right foot stuck in a jar of mayonnaise and your left foot stuck in a coffee can. In your mouth is a long stem rose. Hanging out of your nostrils is a few spaghetti noodles from Luigi's and hanging around your neck is a doctor's stethoscope.
Now prompt yourself to remember the errands by identifying each object. Works well, does not it? A little rehearsal will place these facts into your long term memory.
Memorizing using the The Association Technique will enable you to retain the memory of many seemingly unrelated items. Useful for upcoming tests, lectures, speeches, shopping lists, and weekend errands? Of course.
[ad_2]
Source by Mark Pennington