Memory

Make Associations and Patterns  |  Write it Down  |  Pay Attention  |  Memories can be False or Mislead  |  Impact of Health and Way of Life on Memory  |  Some Everyday Memory Tips  |  Some Observations Relating to Memory

Useful or interesting Links  |  Brain Test

 

We tend to remember meaning rather than the words. After someone’s speech we will remember what we understand the speaker was trying to say rather than the specific words they used to say it.

It’s hard to remember information you don’t understand and can’t put into some context. We remember things better if we can relate them to things we already know.

You don’t need to try to remember everything. Much information, for example, is readily available on the internet. There is however a balance. You should try to remember sufficient basic facts about a topic such that you provide your mind with an architecture off which you can hang the details should you have a reason for looking them up. This enables us to put the details into some sort of context that is meaningful. Thus knowing and remembering some key dates from history, and their significance vis-à-vis different empires or countries or people, enables us to put into context other dates we don’t know off by heart. Without this remembered historical architecture in our heads we would struggle to put other dates into any meaningful context.

 

Make Associations and Patterns

 

 

Write it Down

 

 

Pay Attention

 

 

Memories can be False or Mislead

 

 

Impact of Health and Way of Life on Memory

 

Some Everyday Memory Tips

 

 

Some Observations Relating to Memory

 

 

Useful or interesting Links

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Your-Memory

http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/a/memory.htm

http://www.memory-improvement-tips.com/

https://www.mindtools.com/memory.html

 

Quiz/Tests

[Alternative version of Quiz with Scoring]: Requires ActiveX enabled

Reminder on taking tests: It’s not about trying to prove you already know it, it’s about learning.

Question 1

If you find yourself habitually forgetting where you’ve put something in particular, such as your car keys or phone, then list some of the things you can do to overcome this being a problem and frequent source of stress.

 

Question 2

You want to remember a list of items in your head. List some tricks or techniques for doing so.

 

Question 3

Which of the following are true statements:

a. As we get older our memory deteriorates and there is nothing we can do about it.
b. Our memory is like a photograph. Once we have a memory it is perfectly preserved, bit is just the way we retrieve it that leads to errors.
c. Our memories can evolve over time, subtly changing.
d. We have locked in our memory everything we have ever seen or heard.

 

Question 4

List some good habits for boosting your memory or keeping it in good working order.

 

Question 5

Which of the following are biases you personally suffer from:
[Pick all that apply]
a. You sometimes remember things in a self-flattering way, in a way that justifies your actions as having been the right thing to do.
b. You tend to overestimate your involvement in things that turned out well, and underestimate your involvement in things that turned out badly.
c. You sometimes distort your memories based on certain stereotypes and prejudices.
d. Some of the ideas that you believe were our own where in fact ones you had read or heard about.

 

Question 6

List some good tips for improving your memory when studying for exams:

 

Question 7

Provide a brief explanation of why it is that two people witnessing a common event can have very different and conflicting descriptions of that event despite both firmly believing their description is the truth.

 

Question 8

List out some ways you can improve your ability to visualize.

 

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