2.4 Encoding Memories

Encode

The process of transforming information into a format that can be entered into memory.

Mnemonic Devices

Techniques a person can use to help them improve their ability to remember something.

Method of Loci

A mnemonic device that involves visualizing familiar spatial environments to retrieve remembered information.

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar

Categories

Grouping information based on shared properties.

Hierarchies

A system or organization in which concepts are ranked one above the other according to importance.

The Spacing Effect

The tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.

Massed Practice

A learning strategy where practice is broken into a few long sessions.

Distributed Practice

A learning strategy where practice is broken into many short sessions over a longer period.

Serial Position Effect

Our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list.

Primacy Effect

The tendency to remember the first piece of information we encounter better than information presented later.

Recency Effect

The tendency to remember the last piece of information we encounter better than information presented earlier.