PAVE Your Way to a Better Linda Sasser, Ph.D. [email protected]

Information Processing Model of Memory REHEARSED

LONG-TERM SHORT-TERM MEMORY MEMORY forever(?) ~ 20 seconds STIMULUS 1-3 seconds ELABORATION unless unlimited rehearsed all sensory semantic input RETRIEVED 5-9 items episodic procedural

NOT TRANSFERRED TO NEXT STAGE AND THEREFORE FORGOTTEN

Sensory Memory (SM) briefly holds the information that is coming to your brain through your . The information you pay attention to enters Short-term Memory (STM), but only stays there for about 20 seconds unless you keep repeating it. For example, if someone tells you a phone number, and you repeat the number mentally while looking for paper on which to write it, this is called “maintenance rehearsal.”

STM is also called (WM), which refers to maintaining and manipulating information in your mind while ignoring irrelevant distractions and intruding . For example, when you multiply 7 x 23, WM needs to retain the problem while retrieving the necessary multiplication facts from LTM and doing the computation, and retain each step of the computation until it is completed.

Long Term Memory is comprised of that are semantic (related to knowledge, like vocabulary), episodic (personal experiences) and/or procedural (motor or for the movements involved in things you do, like driving, riding a bicycle, playing a musical instrument). To store information in Long-term Memory (LTM) you need to be intentional about using strategies such as association, visualization, and elaboration.

© 2016 Linda Sasser, Ph.D. Brain and Memory Health www.brainandmemoryhealth.com

PAVE Your Way to a Better Memory Pay attention – If you do not attend to information, it most likely will not be recorded in short- or long-term memory. Associate – Connect to-be-learned information with information you already know. Visualize – Create mental images for information, using action, color and exaggeration (ACE) if possible. For example, if you park your car in space 5 of level C at the mall, visualize 5 cats waiting in your car for your return. To remember that Augusta is the capital of Maine, picture a gust of wind blowing through a horse’s mane. Elaborate – Think about the meaning of the to-be-learned information, or find a way to make it meaningful/memorable. For example, to remember that Juneau is the capital of Alaska, think of the phrase, “D’you know the capital of Alaska?” Memory is not a passive experience but rather an active process, something you consciously choose to do. Frank Felberbaum The true is the art of attention. Samuel Johnson You can remember any new piece of information if it is associated to something you already know or remember. Harry Lorayne Remembering Names . Pay attention: focus on the person and listen carefully . Ask for the spelling of the name (if appropriate) and/or visualize the name in writing . Repeat the name to yourself and use the name out loud while looking at the person’s face . Note spontaneous associations to the name and visualize images for those associations (Keith = keys, Penny = the coin, Bill = dollar bill, Stein = beer stein, etc.) . Break a longer name into syllables (Pienkowski = pink house key) . Note a prominent feature of the person’s face or appearance (a mole, large nose, thin eyebrows, pointy ears); connect your image for the name with the feature, if possible . Use alliteration or rhyme (tall Tom, mustached Mike, jovial Julie, curly Shirley, etc.) . Soon after, review and write names and descriptions/information about people you have met

Books and Websites Felberbaum, F. (2005). The Business of Memory. NY: Rodale. Green, C.R. (2001). Total Memory Workout. NY: Bantam. Higbee, K.L. (2001). Your Memory: How It Works and How to Improve It. NY: Marlowe. Michelon, P. (2012). Max Your Memory: The Complete Visual Program. : Dorling. www.memory-improvement-tips.com and http://www.memozor.com

Linda Sasser, who holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, has more than three decades of experience as a professional speaker, university professor, and workshop facilitator. Her diverse background includes developing and delivering keynotes, training, and continuing education for associations, businesses and professionals. She authored BE! Brain Enrichment, a course curriculum to help people learn about brain health and improve memory and other cognitive skills. Through her business, Brain and Memory Health, she offers individual and corporate solutions for brain wellness and emotional intelligence, and her passion for motivating people to fully utilize their brain’s potential. Her website is: www.brainandmemoryhealth.com © 2016 Linda Sasser, Ph.D. Brain and Memory Health www.brainandmemoryhealth.com