8.8: Memory Enhancement Techniques

Recent findings in biopsychology and neuroscience have enhanced our understanding of memory and can be applied to improve memory performance. This is especially relevant for students, who must learn and recall vast amounts of information. The chapter concludes with some scientifically-based strategies for improving memory.

Spacing effect

The spacing effect, also known as distributed practice, shows that information is retained better when learning is spread over time rather than condensed into one session. This may be due to increased opportunities for memory reactivation and consolidation during rest or sleep (Cowan et al., 2024). Whether studying for an exam, practicing a sport, or learning a new skill, consistent daily sessions are more effective than cramming the same amount of time into a single session.

Elaborative rehearsal

Deeply processing information enhances long-term memory retention. Elaborative rehearsal is an effective memory technique that involves connecting new information to existing knowledge or experiences (Bartsch et al., 2018). This process can include forming meaningful associations through analogies, creating vivid mental images, or drawing parallels. Such techniques help integrate new information into existing memory stores. Students can apply elaborative rehearsal by connecting new information to previously learned material or relevant life experiences.

Retrieval practice

Retrieval practice, also known as the testing effect, involves actively recalling information rather than passively reviewing it. This technique enhances long-term retention by reactivating neural pathways associated with learned information each time it is recalled. To prepare for an exam, many students just re-read material, which is less effective for recall when it counts. Instead, active recall strategies like using flashcards, creating practice questions, or peer quizzing prove more beneficial than passively re-reading materials.

Get enough sleep

While sleeping, your brain is at work organizing and consolidating information in long-term memory. During sleep, particularly during slow-wave sleep, neural patterns associated with recent learning are reactivated. This strengthens or consolidates the memory, and enables the transfer of information from the hippocampus to more long-term storage in the cortex. Despite the tendency for college students to sacrifice sleep due to busy schedules, optimizing sleep quality can enhance sleep-dependent memory consolidation.

Physical exercise

Physical exercise, particularly aerobic activity, is associated with enhanced hippocampal function and improved memory. Regular aerobic exercise has been linked with increased hippocampal volume, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and hippocampal neurogenesis (Erickson et al., 2011; Ma et al., 2017), which are associated with memory formation and retention. Aerobic exercise has been linked to improved episodic, spatial, and procedural memory (Roig et al., 2013). Taking exercise breaks can enhance learning and memory.

Minimizing interference

Divided attention and distractions can interfere with memory encoding and retrieval (Fernandes & Moscovitch, 2000). To reduce interference and enhance memory, study in a distraction-free environment, avoiding television, phones, and social media alerts. One effective technique for focused work is the “Pomodoro Technique,” named after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. This method involves focusing on a single task for 25-minute intervals (no internet, TV, social media, etc.), followed by a short 3-5 minute break. Repeat this cycle as needed.

Mnemonic devices

Mnemonic devices can enhance memory by organizing information and creating meaningful associations between items in ways that support memory encoding and retrieval. For example, chunking is a common mnemonic technique wherein individuals group items into meaningful units (e.g., remembering a phone number as 222-875-4344 rather than individual numbers). The method of loci, or memory palace, is a mnemonic technique that engages spatial memory systems in the brain. In this method, individuals assign items they want to remember to imagined spatial locations to improve memory. By strategically organizing information and establishing relationships between items, individuals can optimize their memory performance.

Emotional encoding

Emotional experiences form strong memories, due to several factors including amygdala-hippocampal activation, stress hormones, and neuromodulators. Students can hack this emotion-memory link by framing new information with an emotionally charged narrative. For example, when learning something for class, like the neural underpinnings of memory consolidation, making that information more emotional (a scary or sexy hippocampus?) could strengthen that memory.

Text Attribution

Parts of this section were adapted from:

Stevens, L. & Stamp, J. (2020). Introduction to Psychology & Neuroscience (2nd edition). Retrieved from: https://caul-cbua.pressbooks.pub/intropsychneuro/chapter/ways-to-enhance-memory/  CC BY 4.0