Do more with less memory

Chapter 12 The Method of Giving Images and Abstract Memory

The image memory method is the method of using the image of things or the representation in the mind to remember.Generally speaking, the salient features of an image are that it is intuitive, vivid, stable, and has a sense of integrity and generality. It can impress people deeply, help people associate, touch the scene and arouse emotions, and arouse people's emotions.It is also possible to generate leaping imagination through association, which is not limited by space and time, and lacks logic.Therefore, remembering things with the help of images can enhance the effect of memory.

Studies have shown that intuitive and visual materials are easier to remember than boring and abstract materials, which is also a rule of memory activity.

The basic skill of image memory is to carry out rich imagination and association with vivid images, so as to achieve the effect of enhancing memory.Its essence is not only to visualize specific memory materials, but also to visualize abstract hard-to-remember materials to enhance the memory effect.

For example, when you want to memorize specific nouns such as chicken, duck, cow, sheep, house, etc., if only the Chinese characters of these nouns appear in your mind, the memory impression is not as easy to remember as the images of these specific things.Another example is that it is easy to remember the combination of the name of the person and the appearance of the person.This means that specific nouns have a good visual memory effect.And those abstract nouns, such as patriotism, science, happiness, etc., have no direct image. If you want to visualize them, you have to rely on imagination and association, and artificially endow them with certain images, such as connecting patriotism with patriotic heroes.The girl Joan of Arc is a hero who saves the country, and whenever she thinks of Joan of Arc, the abstract noun of patriotism comes to mind.Linking happiness with a happy family life, and science with the development of household appliances means that abstract nouns that have no direct image, with the help of imagination or association, artificially endow them with images, making them easy to remember.These are the basic requirements and practices of image memory method.

In the image memory method, some specific methods can also be separated.

1. Image metaphor.

Using familiar things as metaphors for memory materials will make the memory more vivid and intuitive, and the effect will be better.

For example, there is only a big rooster in the topographical image of China, the head of the chicken is in a certain place, and the tail is in a certain place, so it is easier to remember.In this way, the image feature can be used to mark the map.

Romania: like a clenched fist;
Italy: like a leather boot;

Republic of Benin: like a torch;
Togo: like the word "1";

Vietnam: like the word "3";

North Korea: like the word "5";

Somalia: Like the word "7";

Kyushu Island, Japan: Like the word "9".

Another example is that if someone loves to talk, people call him "crow's mouth"; someone who is pitifully thin is compared to "telephone pole";This makes it easy to remember with metaphors.

2. Image description.

It will be easier to remember if the general materials, especially the abstract materials are vividly described.

Good writers are masters of words, able to draw characters and events so vividly that they leave a lasting imprint on the reader's mind.Check out Shakespeare's "As You Like It" great passage about the 7 periods of life:

At first, he was a baby, crying and spitting milk in the nurse's arms; then he was of school age, carrying a schoolbag, blushing, shuffling slowly like a snail, humming reluctantly Then came the period of searching for a soulmate, often moaning like the bellows of a stove, and reciting to her face the plaintive poems of his own creation; Ridiculous oaths, cherishing reputation, fighting at every turn, looking for fame that is as fleeting as bubbles at the mouth of the cannon.

3. Image diagram.

We all know that long and cumbersome text materials or digital materials are not easy to remember, but if they are organized and processed, they can be represented by graphs, charts, pictures, network diagrams, tree diagrams, or objects, models, specimens, etc. , so that the memory materials can be changed from complex to simple, from abstract to concrete, which can greatly improve the memory effect.

Image memory method is widely used, and there are many ways and methods. For example, Chinese characters are pictographs, and image memory method is often used when memorizing Chinese characters. The character "Pan" has many strokes, and it is difficult for primary school students to remember. When a special-grade teacher taught the word "Pan", he vividly said: "A pair of big hands grasped the branches and thorns on the steep mountain, and climbed hard."In this way, most students will remember it very well.

In addition, the method of image association is very worthy of the attention of teachers engaged in children's education and parents who are new parents.For example, to memorize the English word "bank", guide children to imagine the bank where they often save at the corner of the street, and to memorize "TV", the image of the TV at home must emerge in their minds.While looking at the text, while reading, an image is projected on the screen of the mind.To remember things in images, to imagine the impressive objects around you, another trick is to use exaggeration.We want to remember the "pen". If it is just the original, the impression will not be deep. In order to deepen the strength, we must expand it to a very large size in our minds.If you want to remember "timber", imagine that it is very thick and long timber, put it on a super large truck, or let the tires be installed under the timber to run.To remember the "earring", imagine it hangs on the daughter's ear, it is so big that it covers half of the face.

Remember "flowers", it is not a bunch, but a large garden, colorful and colorful.

When using image memory method, you should pay attention to the following points:
(1) Observe all kinds of things at ordinary times, accumulate rich representations in your mind, and lay a good foundation for image memory.

(2) When using diagram models to express things, you have to make them yourself, which is very impressive.Remember: memory that relies on visual thinking is 100 times more effective than memory that relies on verbal description.

Abstract memory is also called verbal logic memory.It is a memory in the form of words and symbols, with ideas, concepts, laws, and formulas as its content.In school learning activities, most of them are book knowledge and indirect knowledge. It is impossible to understand and explain them with direct experience or intuitive image materials. They can only rely on language expression and logical thinking as the object and content of memory, so abstract Memory is an indispensable and important memory method in learning activities.

(1) The characteristics of the abstract memory method.

The abstract memory method has the characteristics of generalization, comprehension and logic.

It is the easiest and most economical form for individuals to preserve knowledge and experience, and it is also a unique memory of human beings. People's knowledge of the laws of nature, society and thinking are preserved through abstract memory, that is, verbal logical memory.

(2) Abstract memory is also based on understanding.

Abstract memory, like other basic memories, should be based on understanding. Without understanding, simply using abstract memory will become rote memorization.Similarly, if you put aside the logical memory of words and simply use the memory of meaning, it is not easy to remember the basic ideas and logical relationships of the materials.It can be seen that abstract memory and comprehension memory are both different and closely related.

Abstract memory is closely related to people's abstract thinking.With the development and cultivation of people's abstract thinking, word symbols, number symbols, various formulas, laws, concepts, etc. in people's minds are gradually enriched, and the ability of abstract memory is getting stronger and stronger.For them, logical thoughts expressed in words are easy to remember.As many concerned experts easily remember professional symbols and logical meanings.This is also because, after long-term special education and training, they have firmly grasped the relevant symbol systems, understood the meanings they represent, and can use them proficiently.

Due to lack of knowledge and experience, some students have difficulty memorizing abstract symbols and logical meaning materials, and do not understand the far-reaching significance of mastering them, so they become bored with abstract materials and symbol systems, which is very unfavorable to personal development and improvement.

There are four ways to improve the effect of abstract memory:

Do not fully understand the significance of mastering relevant concepts and theories, and mobilize the internal motivation for learning;

Have a strong interest, a strong desire;
With the help of image memory and other memory methods;

Work hard and persevere.

Many scientists have a thorough understanding of the professional theories and a large number of concepts, laws, formulas and related symbols, and their memory is accurate. This is closely related to their full understanding of the importance of their professional, strong interest and good use of memory methods.

The image memory method is intuitive and easy to remember, but many contents, especially book knowledge, are mostly indirect knowledge and need to be memorized with the help of tone symbols.Generally speaking, abstract memories with abstract materials as objects are difficult to maintain and difficult to recall.In learning activities, if the two methods are used in combination and learn from each other, the effect will be better.In many memory techniques, sometimes emphasis is placed on the use of image memory, but at the same time attention should be paid to supplementing it with abstract memory;

The combination of the two memory methods works better.The combination of these two memory methods works well because it conforms to the law of individual psychological development and the functional characteristics of the two hemispheres of the brain.

From the perspective of individual psychological development, both kinds of memory are developing as the individual ages.Experimental studies have pointed out that if the index of the effect of using intuitive image memory and verbal logic memory for second-year primary school students is assumed to be 100, the development level of these two types of memory in the later ages will be: 134 for first-year high school students, 175 for first-year high school students, and 207 for adults; in terms of verbal and logical memory, 193 for first-year junior middle school students, 252 for first-year high school students, and 306 for adults.It can be seen that both kinds of memory are developing, while the verbal logical memory develops faster.In all kinds of mental activities, whether it is intuitive memory materials or verbal logic memory materials, it is necessary and indispensable in large quantities.In learning and memory activities, being able to consciously and comprehensively use two memory methods can not only promote the development of memory, but also obtain the effect of promoting memory.

Then look at the functional characteristics of the two hemispheres of the brain. In 1981, Professor R. W. Sperry, an American who has long been engaged in research on split brain, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.This is because he found from a large number of cases and hundreds of accurate scientific experiments that the two hemispheres of the brain have their own functional advantages, and the speech function is mainly located in the left hemisphere, which is mainly responsible for speech, reading, writing, mathematical operations and logic. Reasoning, etc.; while the spatial relationship of perceptual objects, emotions, appreciation of music and art, etc. are located in the right hemisphere.To put it another way, the memory materials of the left hemisphere focus on language, logical reasoning, numbers and symbols, etc., which are based on abstract thinking and memory; while the memory materials of the right hemisphere of the brain focus on object images, music images, spatial locations, etc. , it is based on image thinking and memory.

Scientific experimental studies have pointed out that the two hemispheres of the human brain have relatively independent functional advantages, and under normal circumstances, they are connected and coordinated through the corpus callosum.

The discovery of the functional characteristics of the two hemispheres of the brain is the latest discovery about the human brain in recent years, and it is also a discovery of special significance.If this theory can be used correctly in education and teaching, and scientific education and training will be given, the potential of the brain will be developed.Some psychologists say: When one side (hemisphere) is "added" to the other side, the result will be increased by five times, ten times or even more.

The functions of both hemispheres of the brain are very important. It cannot be said which is important and which is not. What is important is to maintain a balanced development of the functions of the left and right hemispheres.Some experts pointed out that the two hemispheres of the brain have many undeveloped parts. If we can know the functions of these two parts of the brain, understand their mysteries, and use the two hemispheres of our brains in a balanced manner, then, 1+1>; 2, we Your brain power will be greatly improved, and your work and study efficiency will also be greatly increased.

In memory activities, we should consciously combine the two methods.First of all, memory should be carefully crafted as a "video tape", and various images should be clearly recorded.Professor Shinagawa Kaya of Japan said: "Rely on the left brain to remember language, and rely on the right brain to remember images. The two are combined and stored in the brain as a complete memory. When recalling, first elicit the image, and then use the left brain to change it. For language." Professor Shinagawa clearly explained how to combine the two memory methods.For example, when mentioning Mount Tai, the majestic and majestic image of Mount Tai comes to mind first without any effort, and then I think of the language or text description about Mount Tai.When remembering other things, the method of image memory is also used. First, the object of memory is turned into a picture or a figure, so that the image of the thing emerges vividly and clearly in the mind, and then it is expressed in an orderly manner with language and text symbols. come out.This is easy to understand and easy to remember.For example, when learning geography, it is much easier to fill in the map and memorize it at the same time.

Remember: Not only should we pay attention to the method of logical memory of words, which is commonly used in learning, but also the method of image memory, which is often overlooked.Therefore, many people call for: to develop the potential of the right brain of people.More importantly, the two methods are often used in combination to give full play to the functional advantages of the two hemispheres of the brain.This is a good way to improve the memory effect, and it is also an important strategic measure to promote people's talents.

(End of this chapter)