The association technique can be a useful tool to help you memorize many seemingly unrelated items or ideas. Association is a powerful memory aid. We all experience sensory stimuli that remind us of something else. The smell of freshly baked bread may remind you of your mother’s great apple pie. Listening to the ending of the “Sesame Street” theme song might remind you of your wonderful preschool teacher.
The association technique connects the elements or ideas we want to remember with a visual theme. Recent research on the hemispheric brain has demonstrated the power of associations. Our brains act like computer file folders, placing newly learned information in the same file as already learned information that fits within that same file. This association technique connects new information you want to remember with existing information you already know, much like our brain file folders. If we take the time to organize new information in the same way that our brains do, we can improve our retention of that information.
Addresses
Select a visual theme in which to clearly place objects that represent the main idea or “title” of the most objects, or keywords, to be remembered. Place the number symbol that represents how many items you need to remember somewhere on your visual. Replace any abstract objects with more concrete ones. For example, replacing the yellow “Have a nice day” smiley with the abstract “happiness” would make a much more memorable object. Connect the object or keyword to a part of the common image. If the exact order is important, connect each one clockwise.
Example
Suppose you need to remember the following errors for Saturday afternoon:
-Collect cleaning.
-Send Kenny’s birthday package.
-Buy a bottle of mayonnaise.
-Buy a three-pound can of coffee.
-Pick up a dozen roses for mom.
-Call to reserve at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant.
-Make an appointment with your doctor for your annual physical exam.
Imagine a big orange “seven” standing in the middle of a field of green grass. Imagine yourself leaning against the “seven” with a plastic bag containing your cleaning on your right arm and a birthday package with a bright red bow dangling from your left arm. Next, imagine your right foot trapped in a mayonnaise jar and your left foot trapped in a coffee can. In your mouth is a long-stemmed rose. Some Luigi’s spaghetti dangles from your nostrils and a doctor’s stethoscope dangles from your neck.
Now encourage yourself to remember the errands by identifying each object. It works fine, doesn’t it? A short essay will place these facts in your long-term memory.
Memorizing using the association technique will allow you to retain memory for many seemingly unrelated items. Useful for upcoming tests, lectures, speeches, shopping lists, and weekend errands? Of course.