MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 1

Effect of Mnemonic Techniques on Serial Recall

Sarah A. Khan

University of Karachi
MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 2

INDEX
Abstract 3

Introduction 4

Procedure 6

Results 7

Data Analyses 9

Discussion 10

Conclusion 11

References 12

Appendix I 14

Appendix II 15

Tables 16
MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 3

Abstract

Mnemonics are memory aids that use the technique of association to remember information.

They can be verbal or visual.Previous research has suggested that the use of mnemonic

techniques can facilitate memory. However, most of these researches have been conducted in

western countries, so this research was conducted to study the effectiveness of mnemonic

techniques on aiding memory in Pakistan. The present research employed the key word method

of mnemonics for facilitating the serial recall of a list of words. It was hypothesized that the

serial recall for the task done using mnemonic techniques would be better as compared to the

task done without mnemonic techniques. The sample consisted of 30 university students, half

male and half female, who were divided equally into the experimental and the control group. The

participants in the experimental group were given a nursery rhyme containing key words and

were shown flash cards one by one.They were asked to to associate the words on the flash cards

with the key words and were later asked to recall the words on the flash card in the given order.

The experimental group, who used mnemonic techniques for serial recall performed significantly

better than the control group. The findings supported the hypothesis. This research used difficult

words and it is expected that the recall would have been even better if simpler words had been

used. Nevertheless, this research supports previous researches in the fact that mnemonic

techniques can be an effective way to aid and improve memory.

Keywords: mnemonics, keyword method, serial recall, association

MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 4

Effect of Mnemonic Techniques on Serial Recall

Memory is a huge part of everyday life. Some people are naturally better at retaining and

recalling memories than others, but there are ways to improve memory and recall.There are two

types of memory, short term memory and long term memory. Information that is recognized by

the brain is passed on to short term memory, where it is held for about 20 or 30 seconds. If this

information is rehearsed by repetition or by being processed in some other way that can link it up

with other information already stored in memory, it may then be passed to long term memory.

When asked to recall, short-term memory retrieves this information from the long term stores. To

improve the capacity of short term memory, a strategy called mnemonics may be used.A

mnemonic is a memory technique that can help the brain better encode and recall information. .

Mnemonic techniques and systems have been used for at least 2,500 years, but have been studied

experimentally for less than 40 years. They are based on the basic principles of learning and

memory. They work by associating new information with the knowledge which is already stored

in the long-term memory. This allows for better encoding of new information which can improve

its retention and recall.

There are many types of mnemonic techniques such rhymes and poems, acronyms,

images etc. They use cues which serve as a means for retrieval of stored information. Acronyms

can also be used as mnemonic devices as first letters of words act as cues to the actual words. For

example, VIBGYOR is used to remember the colors in a rainbow. One widely used mnemonic

technique is the method of loci, in which the individual uses the places in a habitual route for

remembering a series of items. It uses imagery for memorization. Another similar mnemonic

technique is the peg word or the key word method, in which rhyming words are used as pegs or

keys with which new items are associated. The pegs serve as retrieval clues to the information
MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 5

that needs to be learned. The peg words represent numbers, which makes sequential retrieval

possible.

Modern memory research has shown clearly that mnemonics can be powerful learning

tools in certain contexts, such as remembering a list of concrete objects (Bower, 1970 as cited by

Putnam, 2015) The key word method is particularly effective for remembering foreign

vocabulary. Students that used the key word system to remember Russian vocabulary learned

significantly better than those who did not use this technique (Atkinson & Raugh, 1975 as cited

by Davidoff, 1980) It can also be applied to learning more complex material such as state-capital

associations and biological hierarchies Using imagery to learn new information rather than

relying on simple repetition, makes the material more memorable (Meier,1985 ; Pavio,1983 as

cited by Davidoff, 1980) The peg system has also been applied in a classroom with learning

disabled students. The students that used the peg system performed significantly better than the

control in both immediate and delayed tests.(Veit,1986) Both the loci and the peg method have

been shown to be effective for remembering lists of concrete objects especially if the exact order

is important. However, most of the research into mnemonic has been done in Western countries,

so the present research was conducted to explore the effect of mnemonic techniques on memory

in Pakistan. Specifically, we investigated the effectiveness of the peg word method of

mnemonics for the serial recall of a list of words by comparing the results of the the

experimental and the control group. It was hypothesized that the experimental group would

perform better than the control group.

MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 6

Procedure

The sample consisted of 30 university students, half male and half female, who agreed to

participate in a study on memory. The participants were divided equally into the experimental

and the control group, and the independent group design was used. The experimental group was

given a task in which they were given a nursery rhyme containing underlined peg

words.(Appendix I) Peg words are concrete nouns that rhyme with the numbers like "one is a

bun, two is a shoe, three is a tree," and so on.The rhyme was available to the participants

throughout the experiment.The participants were then shown ten flash cards one by one, that had

a word written on them along with its meaning(Appendix II)

They were then asked to associate the first flash card with the first key word by

imagining a weird, funny or dramatic image. Examples were given to aid them in association

such as, to associate the word “florist” with the key word “bun”, they could imagine a florist

standing in a garden full of buns instead of flowers. Each participant could take as much time as

they wanted to associate the flash cards with the key words. They were asked to visualize the

second word in some interaction with a shoe, visualize the third word interacting with a tree, and

so on. After the participants were done, they were asked to recall all the words in the given

sequence. The number of their correct responses and the number of errors they made were

noted.The independent variable was the mnemonic technique, and the dependent variable was

the number of correct responses.

The participants in the control group were shown the same flash cards one by one, and

were asked to memorize the words written on them. After they were done, they were asked to

recall the words in the given order. The number of correct answers and errors was recorded.
MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 7

Results

Table 1

Mean of Experimental Group

Male Female

Errors Correct responses Errors

Correct responses
4.47 5.70 4.33
5.53

Table 2

Mean of Control Group

Male Female

Errors Correct responses Errors

Correct responses
6.53 4.07 5.93
3.47
MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 8

Mean differences between experimental and control group

10

0
Correct responses Incorrect responses
Experimental group Control Group

Difference between correct responses of male and female

6
Mean number of correct responses

0
Experimental Control Group
Group
Male Female
MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 9

Data Analyses

The mean of correct and incorrect responses of all particpiants in the experimental and

control group were calculated. The results showed that the mean number of correct responses

were significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group, supporting the

facilitating effect of mnemonic techniques in memory and recall.More errors were made by the

participants in the control condition.The female participants performed slightly better than the

male participants in both the experimental and the control conditions. The male participants

made more errors in recalling the words than the female participants. The results are congruent

with our hypothesis as the serial recall for the task done using the mnemonic technique was

better than the task done without it.

MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 10

Discussion

Previous research has repeatedly found a positive link between mnemonic techniques and

memory. The current research advanced these findings by investigating this technique in a South-

Asian country, Pakistan. The facilitating effect of mnemonic techniques can be explained by

many theories. Imagination and Association are two fundamental principles underlying the use of

mnemonics. Association creates a link between new and already stored information in the brain,

which increases the likelihood of encoding and transfer of new information from the short term

to the long term memory. Imagination or visualization strengthens the association. The

participants were encouraged to imagine vivid, dramatic or funny situations which makes the

information more likely to be stuck in the mind for later recall. Images are part of long term

memory, and the key words were daily routine objects such as bun, shoe, tree etc, which makes it

even easier to imagine and associate the key words with the new words.This can help overcome

the limitations of short term memory, which can generally hold 7(+/- 2) items at a time

depending on the individual(Miller,1956) while more recent research suggests that only four

words can be retained by short term memory at a time (Cowan, 2001) The peg system organizes

information by putting it in a sequential manner along with the peg words. Organisation could

have helped to retain the words more effectively, as it has long been known that memory

performance is best when information is encoded in a meaningful or an organised manner

(Bower, et al.1969 as cited by Mocko, et al. 2017) Retreival and recall of the words was aided by

the use of cues. The key words acted as cues to the words on the flash cards. Since the rhyme

was available to the participants during the task and also at the time of recall, the participants did

not need to worry about forgetting the key words.This would have helped avoid cognitive
MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 11

overload. Selective attention may also have played a key part since the peg words had been

underlined to make it easier for the participant to focus on them.

However, the effect of using mnemonic techniques on recall was not as pronounced as

one would expect considering the above theories on how mnemonics facilitate memory. One

possible explanation of this could be that the words to be remembered were high on the level of

difficulty. The participants might have become anxious when they saw those mostly novel,

difficult words. Since the sample size was small, and the participants mostly belonged to the

University of Karachi, the results may not generalize to students of other universities in Pakistan.

In the light of the limitations mentioned above, it would be useful to replicate this

experiment using easier words, and taking students with different cultural, linguistic and

educational backgrounds, with greater age diversity. Finally, the effect of using other mnemonic

techniques on recall such as the loci method needs to be investigated. Studies have shown that

students think that some mnemonics are easier, faster, more enjoyable, and more useful than rote

rehearsal (Fritz, et al.2007 as cited by Putnam,2015) and that mnemonics can reduce test anxiety

(Stalder & Olson. 2011 as cited by Putnam, 2015) Further research can advance our

understanding about the effectiveness of mnemonics to promote their use in academics to aid

learners.

Conclusion

The present research builds on the robust psychological research showing that using

mnemonic techniques can be an effective way to remember and recall new information.The

techniques can not only help students in their academics but can also be used by people to

improve memory in daily tasks.

MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 12

References

Atkinson, R. C. & Raugh, M. R. (1975) A Mnemonic Method for Learning a Second-Language

Vocabulary. Journal of Educational Psychology, (67,1), 1-16. In Davidoff, L.L (1980) An

Introduction to Psychology: Memory (Ed;3) McGraw-Hill, New York, USA. 208.

Bower, G. H. (1970). Analysis of a mnemonic device: Modern psychology uncovers the

powerful components of an ancient system for improving memory. American Scientist,

58, 496 –510, in Putnam,A.L. (2015) Mnemonics in Education: Current Research and

Applications Translational Issues in Psychological Science. (1,2), 130 –139.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tps0000023

Bower, G. H; Clark, M.C; Lesgold, A.M; Winzenz, D.(1969). “Hierarchical Retrieval Schemes in

Recall of Categorized Word Lists,” Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior. (8,3)

323–343 in Mocko,M; Lesser,L.M; Wagler,A.E; Francis,W.S.(2017). Assessing

Effectiveness of Mnemonics for Tertiary Students in a Hybrid Introductory Statistics

Course, Journal of Statistics Education. (25,1), 2-11.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10691898.2017.1294879

Cowan, N. (2001). "The magical number 4 in short-term memory: A reconsideration of mental

storage capacity". Behavioral and Brain Sciences. (24) 97–185.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X01003922

Fritz, C.O; Morris, P.E; Acton, M; Voelkel, A.R; Etkind, R. (2007). Comparing and combining

retrieval practice and the keyword mnemonic for foreign vocabulary learning. Applied

Cognitive Psychology, 21, 499 –526 in Putnam,A.L. (2015) Mnemonics in Education:

Current Research and Applications. Translational Issues in Psychological Science. (1,2),

130 –139. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tps0000023

MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 13

Meier, D. (1985) The effect of multi-sensory mental imagery on learning.Sypnisis of research

findings. In Davidoff, L.L (1980) An Introduction to Psychology: Memory (Ed;3)

McGraw-Hill, New York, USA. 206.

Miller, G.A. (1956). "The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Some limits on our

capacity for processing information". Psychological Review. (63,2) 81–97.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0043158

Paivio, A. (1983). The empirical case for dual encoding. In J.C. Yuille (Ed.), Imagery, memory,

and cognition. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. In Davidoff, L.L (1980) An Introduction to

Psychology: Memory (Ed;3) McGraw-Hill, New York, USA. 206.

Stalder, D.R ; Olson, E.A. (2011). t for two: Using mnemonics to teach statistics. Teaching of

Psychology. (38), 247–250, in Putnam, A.L. (2015) Mnemonics in Education: Current

Research and Applications Translational Issues in Psychological Science. (1,2), 130 –139.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tps0000023

Veit, D.T; Scruggs, T.E; Mastropieri, M.A. (1986). "Extended mnemonic instruction with

learning disabled students". Journal of Educational Psychology. (78,4) 300–308.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.78.4.300
MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 14

Appendix I

Nursery Rhyme

One is a bun

Two is a shoe

Three is a tree

Four is a door

Five is a hive

Six is a stick

Seven is heaven

Eight is a gate

Nine is a line

Ten is a hen
MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 15

Appendix II

Words on flashcards

1.Confectioner: who makes sweets

2.Lapidary: a jeweller

3.Drapper: a cloth dealer

4.Locksmith: a person who works with locks,keys & the security system

5.Podiatrist: a doctor specialized in feet

6.Collier: a coal miner or maker of charcoal

7.Exterminator: who kill unwanted insects and animals

8.Ripper: a fish seller

9.Glazier: a glass or window maker

10.Tinker: a repairer of small metal things

 MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 16

Tables

Table 3

Responses of Experimental Group

Male Female
Exp.
Number of correct responses Number of errors Number of correct responses Number of errors
No
1 6 4 6 4
2 6 4 7 3
3 4 6 1 9
4 2 8 4 6
5 5 5 7 3
6 9 1 1 9
7 7 3 4 6
8 5 5 3 7
9 2 8 4 6
10 7 3 9 1
11 6 4 6 4
12 6 4 9 1
13 7 3 9 1
14 3 7 5 5
15 8 2 10 0
 MNEMONIC TECHNIQUES AND SERIAL RECALL 17

Table 4

Responses of Control Group

Male Female
Exp. Number of correct responses Number of errors Number of correct responses Number of errors
No
1 5 5 3 7
2 2 8 5 5
3 3 7 5 5
4 4 6 6 4
5 4 6 3 7
6 9 1 5 5
7 3 7 2 8
8 2 8 3 7
9 3 7 1 9
10 1 9 5 5
11 1 9 6 4
12 3 7 4 6
13 4 6 3 7
14 3 7 4 6
15 5 5 6 4