Memory Mnemonics

Abstract

Have you ever had to remember a long list of planets or the state capitals? These kinds of lists are full of interesting facts, but they can be hard to remember, especially for tests. In this human behavior science fair project, you will learn about a memory technique called mnemonics (pronounced nuh-MAH-nicks). See if using mnemonics can help you and your friends remember long lists of information.

Objective

To determine if using mnemonics can improve memory.

Credits

Michelle Maranowski, PhD, Science Buddies

Last edit date: 2012-12-07

Introduction

Have you ever had to memorize a list of words or an equation for a test at school? Maybe it was a list of the planets or all the state capitals. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember long lists of words. This is where memory techniques can help. One memory technique is called mnemonics. A mnemonic (pronounced nuh-MAH-nick) is a memory aid that uses systems of rhymes, acronyms, and diagrams to help you remember names, dates, facts, and figures. An example of a mnemonic is the word scuba, which is not just a word—each letter in the word stands for something. Scuba is an acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. Another example of a mnemonic is the rhyme "i before e except after c, or when sounding 'a' as in neighbor or weigh." This mnemonic was designed to help a person remember the order of the letters "i" and "e" in different words. Mnemonics help memory in several different populations, especially senior citizens.

The term mnemonic is derived from Greek. It is based on the word mnemonikos which means "of memory." This word refers back to mnema, which means "remembrance." Mnemonics can make little sense and still work. Perhaps it is because a strange or funny mnemonic may stay in your mind better. There are several different types of mnemonics. You can use music, name, expression, model, rhyme, note, image, connection, and spelling mnemonics to help you remember just about anything.

In this human behavior science fair project, you will test how well mnemonics can help memory. Gather six of your friends and separate them into two groups. One group will be the control group and the other will be the experimental group. The purpose of a control group is to act as a constant and to highlight any effects the variables in an experiment may have on the experimental group. You will ask each member of the control group to memorize a list without using a mnemonic, then test them by asking them to repeat the list back. Next, you will ask each member of the experimental group to memorize the same list of words, but using a mnemonic. Does the mnemonic help them remember the list better than the control group, who did not use a mnemonic? Many researchers study human memory and how the brain holds memory. This science fair project allows you to study a very interesting area of science—the human mind.

Terms and Concepts

• Memory
• Mnemonic
• Acronym
• Control
• Variable

Questions

• What is memory?
• What is a mnemonic? Can you name a few different kinds of mnemonics?
• Can you put together a list of words and a mnemonic to help you remember that list?

Bibliography

• Wikipedia Contributors. (2009, January 30). Mnemonic. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 30, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mnemonic&oldid=267373518

The following website has some interesting lists at the bottom of the page. You can try making a mnemonic with one of these lists for your science fair project.

• Congos, D. (2005, January 24). 9 Types of Mnemonics for Better Memory. Retrieved January 16, 2009, from http://www.learningassistance.com/2006/january/mnemonics.html

For help creating graphs, try this website:

• National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). Create a Graph. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/CreateAGraph/default.aspx

Materials and Equipment

• Volunteers (6, in addition to you)
• Quiet room for testing
• Paper
• Pencils
• Stopwatch
• Lab notebook

Experimental Procedure

1. Split your volunteers into two groups; one will be the control group and one will be the experimental group. Then develop two lists and corresponding mnemonics. You can come up with your own by taking inspiration from the world around you. For example, come up with a mnemonic that corresponds to your parents' grocery list. You can also develop a mnemonic based on the eight royal houses of England: Norman, Plantagenet, Lancaster, York, Tudor, Stuart, Hanover, and Windsor. Make the lists at least seven words long. Remember that you are limited only by your own imagination.
2. Write your first list on a piece of paper.
3. Now have every member of the control group look at the list of words. Explain what the list is and give them 5 minutes to study the list.
4. After 5 minutes have elapsed, have the group leave the room and wait for 1 hour. Do not let them keep the list. They can watch TV, talk, listen to music, or do homework.
5. After the hour has elapsed, test each member of the control group individually. Have one of the control group volunteers come into the room and recite the words from the list in order. Make sure the other members of the group can't hear. You can provide paper and a pencil if the volunteer would prefer to write his or her answer down. Use the stopwatch to time how long it takes the volunteer to recall the list. Record in your lab notebook how long it took for the volunteer to attempt to recall the list and how many words he or she was able to recall correctly. You can use a data table like the one shown below. Repeat this step for each volunteer of the control group, always recording your data in your lab notebook.

   Volunteer	Control or Experimental	How long did it take to recall this list?	How many words did the volunteer recall correctly?	Percentage of Words Recalled Correctly
   		Average=		Average=

6. Now show the list of words to the volunteers in the experimental group; this time, along with the mnemonic. Explain the list of words to the group and show how the mnemonic works with the list. Let the group examine the list and the mnemonic for 5 minutes.
7. After the 5 minutes has elapsed, have the group leave the room and wait for 1 hour. Do not let them keep the list. They can watch TV, talk, listen to music, or do homework.
8. After the hour has elapsed, repeat step 5 for the experimental group. Remember, always record your data in your lab notebook.
9. Repeat steps 2–8 using the second list and its corresponding mnemonic. Remember to record all of your data in your lab notebook.
10. Now look at the data that you have collected. Do the following calculations for however many mnemonics you chose to test.
    1. Calculate the average time that the control group took to recall the list.
    2. Calculate the average time taken by the experimental group to recall the list.
    3. Calculate the percentage of words that each volunteer recalled correctly.
    4. Then calculate the average percentage of words recalled correctly for each of the groups.
11. Plot the data you have on two graphs. The first graph should show the average percentage of words recalled for the control group and the experimental group for each list used. Label the x-axis List and the y-axis Average Percent Words Recalled. For each list, plot the results of both the control group and the experimental group.
12. The second graph should show the average time taken to recall the list. Label the x-axis List and the y-axis Average Time to Recall List. Again, for each list, plot the results of both the control group and the experimental group. If you would like help building your graphs or would like to make them online, try the following website: Create a Graph. Is there a difference between the two groups? Does relying on mnemonics help memory? Did using mnemonics help with how fast the volunteers were able to recall the list?

Variations

• How long will the mnemonic help memory? Try increasing the wait time from 1 hour to 5 hours and then to 1 day and see if knowing the mnemonic helps in recalling the list.
• Does using the mnemonic technique help older people recall the list better than younger people? Form a group of older people and a group of younger people. Make sure that you have a control group for each population if you want to try this variation. Give all groups a list to remember and its corresponding mnemonic to the two experimental groups. See if having a mnemonic helps the older people more than the younger ones.

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