Your research paper should be 10 to 12 double-spaced pages. In addition to the preceding components, your writing style (grammar and spelling) will be marked out of 10 points, and adherence to the gen

Your research paper should be 10 to 12 double-spaced pages. In addition to the preceding components, your writing style (grammar and spelling) will be marked out of 10 points, and adherence to the gen
Running Head: THE EFFECT OF MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES ON RECALL The Effect of Mnemonic Techniques on Recall Dr. Chris Striemer- Tutor August 29, 2018 Abstract MNEMONICS AND RECALL 2 Organization and association are some of the ways that we bring understanding to the information that we learn. In the following study, recall and retrieval were tested using three forms of mnemonic memorization techniques: the method of loci, the peg word technique and rote learning, also known as repetition. The participants were 531 undergraduate students, all of whom were enrolled in a cognitive psychology course at Athabasca University, participated in the experiment. Participants were asked to memorize a list of 10 words presented on a computer screen for 60 seconds, using one of the three mnemonic techniques. They were then all presented with a mathematical distraction task for 30 seconds and finally provided with 2 minutes to recall as many words as they were able. Results demonstrated that using mnemonic techniques to aid in the memorization of list words, increased recall and retrieval. Effect of Mnemonic Techniques on Recall MNEMONICS AND RECALL 3 One way that humans assimilate and integrate new learning and new information, is by using organization and memory strategies, also known as mnemonics. One popular mnemonic technique is the method of loci, which involves the use of a mental image, paired with a familiar location or well traveled route. The to-be-remembered information is formed into a mental image and this image is placed along a route or scattered around the perimeter of a well-known location. When recalling the information, one needs only to revisit the location or route in their mind and pick up the items along the way. A variation to the method of loci is known as the pegword technique. In this technique, instead of leaving mental images along a familiar route, the information to-be-remembered is associated with a list of words that is memorized in a rhyming sequence, in the format of a poem. One of the challenges with this technique is that the rhyming poem needs to be memorized in advance. Once the rhyming poem is memorized however, the two mnemonic techniques are quite similar. A person forms a mental image of each of the items they wish to remember, along with the pegword items, in a sequence. Recall is facilitated by repeating the peg words and activating the images associated with them. In 1969, Gordon Bower and colleagues at Stanford University conducted a classic experiment which investigated the effects of hierarchic organization of word-list, on recall (Bower et al , 1969). The researchers presented subjects with MNEMONICS AND RECALL 4 lists of words presented either in a random fashion or, organized hierarchically. For example, in the hierarchically organized list, the word “minerals” appeared at the top of the page, and then it was broken into two subgroups, “metals” and “stones” and then further broken down into smaller categories with the word lists organized under each heading. What the researchers found is that recall was 2-3 times better with the hierarchal presentation than with the random presentation of words. They concluded that organizing to-be-remembered items in a hierarchal manner, is a way to increase retrieval and improve recall. Human beings, and especially undergraduate students, must gather and make sense of a massive amount of information on a regular basis. Trying to recall all the information learned in class can prove at best, challenging and at worst, nearly impossible and hopelessly frustrating. Most undergraduate students are presented with memory techniques even in introductory courses, but research suggests that undergraduate students may not be fully aware of useful mnemonic strategies that could potentially enhance their academic success (Hartwig & Dunlosky, 2012). Underuse of these strategies may be linked to the belief that the advantages are not obvious, because memorizing the peg words, or deciding on a well-used route, as in the method of loci and pegword technique, may appear to slow down learning in the short term. Wondering what could be done to encourage the use of effective memory strategies with her students, professor and researcher Jennifer McCabe MNEMONICS AND RECALL 5 investigated the effect of providing convincing demonstrations on how to use the method of loci, on the actual use of the method by her students (McCabe, 2015). The participants in the experiment were 57 undergraduate graduate students from a human learning and memory psychology course. Two lists were used in the recall task, each containing a list of 12 common grocery items. Pretest measures were collected when students were asked to remember the grocery list using any memory technique they were comfortable with. After the pretest, students were asked to read a book in which the author describes how to create a memory place, and then instructed to create their own memory places using locations from their school campus. For the post-test, students were again asked to recall the grocery list, but this time they were instructed to use their memory place and the method of loci to recall the list items. To assess improvement in memory, McCabe compared pre and post-test recall results. The experiment demonstrated that the paired samples revealed significant improvements in recall when the method of loci was used. The research points to the potential of increased classroom learning, when mnemonic techniques are not only taught, but also demonstrated in the classroom. As we have seen, mnemonics are memory strategies that help meaningfully organize to-be-learned information and as such, help facilitate retrieval and recall. Besides the method of loci, hierarchic classification and the pegword technique, all described thus far, other mnemonic techniques include the keyword method, MNEMONICS AND RECALL 6 acrostics, and a broader category of semantic memorization techniques, which includes the use of songs, stories and rhymes. Another study conducted by McCabe and colleagues, used an online survey to examine psychology students’ knowledge, metacognitive beliefs, and self-reported behaviours regarding mnemonic techniques (McCabe, Osha, Roche & Susser, 2013). The participants were 481 undergraduate students, all of which were enrolled in at least one college-level psychology course. The researchers developed an online survey that addressed seven research question relating the student’s knowledge of mnemonics, as well as familiarity with five categories of mnemonic strategies: acronyms and acrostics, method of loci, peg word, keyword method and songs/stories/rhymes (McCabe et al , 2013 p 184). The results of the study indicated that most students (81.1%) could provide reasonably accurate definitions of key mnemonic techniques, indicating that they possessed a general knowledge of them. However, even though students knew what mnemonic techniques were, they were not aware of how best to use them. Students rated mnemonics at a moderate level compared to other study methods, and indicated they were more likely to use mnemonic techniques they have developed themselves, as oppose to the ones provided by instructors. Given the empirical evidence surrounding the effectiveness of mnemonic techniques, the researchers recommended widespread mnemonics instruction and demonstration in MNEMONICS AND RECALL 7 educational institutions, as a practical means of improving student’s learning and engagement (McCabe et al , 2013 p 187). As the abovementioned study demonstrated, simply introducing mnemonics techniques to students through text, or brief instruction may be insufficient in convincing them of the utility of the techniques in their own learning. Research shows that supplementary instruction, paired with specific demonstrations and opportunities to apply the techniques, can increase student’s perceptions of personal relevance of mnemonic strategies and help them apply the strategies directly to course content (Carney, Levin & Levin, 1984). In the current experiment, both the method of loci and the pegword technique were used as recall strategies for a list of ten words. In the control condition, simple repetition, or rote learning was used to recall the words. The experiment tested whether recall accuracy was affected by the two mnemonic techniques when compared to the rote learning control condition. Because the experiment was performed using undergraduate students from a cognitive psychology course, it provided real-life demonstration of the techniques presented in the course and hopefully increased the student’s perceptions of how personally helpful these mnemonic techniques could be for future learning. Method Participants MNEMONICS AND RECALL 8 531 undergraduate students from Athabasca University took participated in the experiment as part of a senior-level cognitive psychology course. Participation in the experiment did not influence the participants academic marks, however to complete the required empirical report assignment, which was necessary to complete the course, the experiment had to be finished. Each participant had to download course software called “Experiments in Cognition” and sign an online consent form. Participants were tested individually, on their home or school computers, but their information was included in group totals and everyone had access to their own individual results, as well as the group averages for each trial, upon completion of the experiment. Participants were not compensated monetarily for their participation. Materials and Procedure Prior to commencing the experiment, participants were asked (via online instructions on their course website) to prepare for the method of loci, by creating a list of 10 locations that they were very familiar with. Some examples provided were, a path one travels regularly in their home, perhaps from the bedroom to the kitchen, or a route they take to get from home to work. The locations needed to be memorized in such a way as to represent as accurately as possible, the actual location, until ten points along the route were committed to memory and could be referred to without memory aids. For the pegword technique, a similar approach MNEMONICS AND RECALL 9 was taken, except participants were asked to learn and memorize a simple rhyme, based on the original technique developed by Bower & Reitman (1972): One is a bun. Two is a shoe. Three is a tree. Four is a door. Five is a hive. Six is sticks. Seven is heaven. Eight is a gate. Nine is wine. Ten is a hen. The experiment consisted of 9 trials, 3 of each condition in a randomly presented order. In each condition, a list of 10 nouns was displayed in the center of the computer screen. Prior to each list being presented to the participant, written instructions were provided, directing the participant to learn the list of words in one of three ways: method of loci, pegword technique or rote learning. Each list was presented for 60 seconds and participants had that time to learn each list in the specified manner. After the 60 seconds was up, the participants were directed to a 30 second distractor task that consisted of a series of mathematical questions and multiple-choice answers. Participants were instructed to answer each math problem as quickly as they were able to, using their mouse to click on the appropriate multiple-choice answer. Participants were then asked to write down all the words MNEMONICS AND RECALL 10 that they were able to recall within a 2-minute time frame, in any order, before pressing a key to continue to the next trial. To use the method of loci, participants were instructed to take each of the list words and create a mental image of the word. Then, the image was to be placed at each of the ten mental locations previously memorized. For example, if one of the words was “card”, one could imagine a card stuck to their front door. When it came time to recall the words after the distraction task, participants had to simply retrace their steps along the memorable path and recall the words associated with each mental image. Using the pegword technique was a similar process. When presented with the list of words to memorize, participants were instructed to form a mental image of each word and pair it with the peg word, in sequence. For example, if the first word on the list was deck, one would imagine a deck wrapped in a huge bun. During recall, participants could read back the rhyme as a cue and bring to memory the image they associated with each peg word. In the rote learning condition, participants were presented with a list of 10 nouns and told to repeat them continually for the 60-minute time frame in an effort to memorize as many words as they could. After the final list of words were presented, participants were given the opportunity to view their results in each condition, in comparison to the averages of their classmates. Results MNEMONICS AND RECALL 11 Individual experimental results are shown in figure 1. Mean scores for the entire experimental group (531 participants) are shown in figure 2. Surprisingly, in figure 1, the rote learning condition and the pegword technique showed similar word recall in the first two trials. There was a significant decrease in recalled words in the third trial however, using the rote learning technique. Overall, rote learning was not a technique that showed consistently high recall. The method of loci scored higher than both the pegword technique and the rote learning technique. In figure 2, we see that again, the method of loci showed significantly higher word recall than rote learning, and the pegword method, though less than method of loci, showed higher recall than the rote learning method. Rote Learning Method of Loci Pegword Technique024681012 Individual Experimental Results, fig. 1 List 1 List 2 List 3 MNEMONICS AND RECALL 12 Rote Learning Method of Loci Pegword Technique 0123456789 Experimental Group Means Summary, fig. 2 Discussion The results of the experiment indicate that when mnemonic strategies are understood and applied, they have the capacity to help increase recall. It seems logical to conclude that when an individual is presented with material that seems unorganized, such as a list of random words, associating those words with something of meaning, such as familiar environmental cues, or a memorized poem, would facilitate deeper cognitive processing and therefore increase future recall. The results of this experiment are in line with the results of the research described throughout this empirical report. Though the results are impressive, one major limitation with this study is the lack of control over testing. Because the participants were all studied individually, in their personally preferred environment, there is a lack of control over cheating. Participants could have written the words down or recorded them in some way. Also, even though the participants were instructed to use the described method of MNEMONICS AND RECALL 13 memorization for each trial, there is no guarantee that participants adhered to those instructions and didn’t use their own preferred methods of memorization as oppose to the ones they were asked to use. An additional limitation to the study, was the vast variability in testing conditions. Participants all have different vision levels but were all subjected to the same sized font during the experiment. Also, there were no other languages available for the experiment except English, possibly limiting understanding of the instructions for those students whose first language is not English. Participants may have been using different devices for the experiment, affecting screen size, resolution and speed of answering in the distraction task. Also, the participants were all in different testing conditions, which may have included varying levels of noise and distraction. Finally, though the mnemonic techniques that were part of this experiment were very helpful during encoding and retrieval of words in a list format, the techniques may have limited application to more complex and abstract material. A practical and helpful suggestion for educators would be to start including materials presented in textbooks in ways that encourage students to use mnemonic techniques more frequently. MNEMONICS AND RECALL 14 References Bellezza, F. S., (1981). Mnemonic devices: classification, characteristics, and criteria. Review Of Educational Research, 51(2) , 247-275. doi: 10.2307/1170198 MNEMONICS AND RECALL 15 Bower, G. H., Clark, M. C., Lesgold, A. M., & Winzenz, D. (1969). Hierarchical retrieval schemes in recall of categorized word lists. Journal Of Verbal Learning & Verbal Behavior, 8(3) , 323-343. doi:10.1016/S0022-5371(69)80124-6 Carney, R. N., Levin, J. R., & Levin, M. E. (1994). Enhancing the psychology of memory by enhancing memory of psychology. Teaching Of Psychology, 21(3) , 171-174. doi:10.1207/s15328023top2103_12 Dunlosky, J., Hartwig, M. K., (2011). Study strategies of college students: are self- testing and scheduling related to achievement? Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 19 (1), 126-34. doi:10.3758/s13423-011-0181 McCabe, J. A., Osha, K. L., Roche, J. A., & Susser, J. A. (2013). Psychology students’ knowledge and use of mnemonics. Teaching Of Psychology, 40(3) , 183-192. doi:10.1177/0098628313487460 McCabe, J. A. (2015). Location, location, location! Demonstrating the mnemonic benefit of the Method of Loci. Teaching Of Psychology, 42(2) , 169-173. doi:10.1177/0098628315573143