UNIT TWO: MEMORY STRATEGIES 6-session Memory Enhancement Course

Can You Recall and/or Recognize this Information?  Beliefs/Aging Misconceptions  3 Stages of Memory  Registering  Retaining  Retrieving  Memory Analogies

Objectives  Identifying what memory strategies are.  Distinguishing between internal and external memory aids and discovering practical strategies.  Looking at techniques that can improve name recall.

Objectives  Reviewing research update on face recognition.  Practicing memory drills.  Discussing the importance of memory intentions.

People lose brain cells every day and eventually just run out. MBrain Myth #2h #2

What are Memory Strategies?  Memory Techniques  Organizational Methods  Effective Learning Behaviors  Requires effort and practice to become automatic

Internal & External Memory Aides

Internal Aids: Alphabetic Cueing  Using alphabetic letters to trigger information  Useful for organizing information

Internal Aids: Mnemonics  Example: Order of Planets “My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Noodles”  Can you think of another example of a mnemonic?

Internal Aids: Acronyms  Words formed by combining the initial letters of words in the name  Examples  How can they help?

Internal Aids: Rhymes & Patterns  Effective memory techniques  30 days has September, April, June and November  Other Examples?

 Which is easier to remember? Or Internal Aids: Chunking

External Aids: Appointment Books Appointment books and calendars lessen the demands on our memory. 1.ALWAYS have it available 2.CHOOSE the right one for you 3.WRITE appointments down A.S.A.P.

External Aids: Calendars 1.Transfer appointments 2.Designate a day 3.Consolidate calendars 4.Consult morning/evening 5.Cross it off! 6.Transfer incomplete tasks

External Aids: Lists, Routines, & Drills  Lists:  To-do lists and shopping lists  Categorizing minimizes things that need to be remembered  Routines: - Automatically assist memory functioning

 Drills:  Practice using as many of the 5 senses as possible *Speaking aloud is very important*  Helps us in registering, retaining, and retrieving External Aids: Lists, Routines, & Drills

 Helps you remember where you put things  Minimizes distraction  What is one thing you can do today to reduce clutter in your life? External Aids: Organization & De-Cluttering

Using Your Whole Mind to Remember!  Transfer language/numbers into distinctive images  Positive images are more easily remembered compared to negative  Give images color, dimension, movement, and senses  Exaggerate the details  Use humor!

Name Recall

1.Focus on the person in front of you. –While shaking hands with a new person, stop and pay close attention to him/her –Say to yourself, “STOP, I want to remember this person’s name” Name Recall: STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, & WRITE

2. Look at the person’s face. –Say to yourself, “Look at this interesting face” –Look at the name tag if available

Name Recall: STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, & WRITE 3. Listen –Repeat the name –Example: “Nice to meet you, Loretta” –Introduce to someone else

Name Recall: STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, & WRITE 4. Write the name down as soon as possible. –If you can’t write it down, make another association.

Facial Recognition  Do we have an area in our brains responsible for recognizing faces?  How do we match the name with the face?

Why is Remembering Tasks so Difficult? Even if we want to we may not remember it An intention is much more difficult than remembering past events Link the trigger and the intention

Practical Strategies External Aids  Appointment books  Calendars  Lists  Notes  Routines  Drills  Pill boxes  Timers  Voice recorders  Putting things in special places  Electronic Calendars  Organization/De-Cluttering Internal Aids Name recall strategies Mental rehearsal Name recall using visualization Mnemonic devices Chunking Routines & drills

Brainwork  Practice the Name Recall Strategy  Stop  Look  Listen  Write  Try one thing to increase organization or de-clutter your environment.

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