Encoding Strategies and Study Methods

AP Psych Chapter 3

Mnemonic Devices

Memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices

Method Of Loci

A mnemonic device that involves imagining placing items you want to remember along a route you know well, or in specific locations in a familiar room/building

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically

Categories

Grouping items into categories that share similar characteristics

Hirearchies

Systems in which concepts are arranged from more general to more specific classes

Spacing Effect

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

Massed Practice

Cramming info all at once. It is less effective than spreading learning over time

Distributed Practice

Spreading out study sessions over time with breaks in between. This practice leads to better memorization and recall

Testing Effect

Enhanced performance on a memory test caused by being tested on the material to be remembered