Abstract
We tested a procedure for memorizing long strings of digits. As a preliminary step, two subjects memorized a substitute word for each of the 100 possible digit pairs by using the digit-consonant mnemonic. Next, for each string to be memorized, successive pairs of digits were encoded into their corresponding substitute words. These words were then memorized using the story mnemonic. To reduce forgetting of long, 80-digit strings, a hierarchical story mnemonic was developed. In this procedure, each successive set of 10 words (20 digits) was organized into a story episode that occurred in a predetermined location. The location served as a context cue during recall. An experiment in which a practiced subject memorized 80-digit strings showed that recall with the hierarchical story mnemonic (99.1%) was superior to the unstructured story mnemonic (92.2%). The procedure and results of this experiment are compared with those of Chase and Ericsson (1981) and Kliegl, Smith, Heckhausen, and Baltes (1987).
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bellezza, F. S. (1981). Mnemonic devices: Classification, characteristics, and criteria. Review of Educational Research, 51, 247–275.
Bellezza, F. S. (1982). Improve your memory skills. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bower, G. H. (1978, February). Improving memory. Human Nature, pp. 65–72.
Bruce, D., & Clemons, D. M. (1982). A test of the effectiveness of the phonetic (number-consonant) mnemonic system. Human Learning, 1, 83–93.
Chase, W. G., & Ericsson, K. A. (1981). Skilled memory. In J. R. Anderson (Ed.), Cognitive skills and their acquisition (pp. 141–189). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Ericsson, K. A., & Staszewski, J. J. (1989). Skilled memory and expertise: Mechanisms of exceptional performance. In D. Klahr & K. Kotovsky (Eds.), Complex information processing (pp. 235–267). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Higbee, K. L. (1988). Your memory: How it works and how to improve it (2nd ed.). New York: Prentice-Hall.
Kliegl, R., Smith, J., Heckhausen, J., & Baltes, P. B. (1987). Mnemonic training for the acquisition of skilled digit memory. Cognition & Instruction, 4, 203–223.
Morris, P. E., & Greer, P. J. (1984). The effectiveness of the phonetic mnemonic system. Human Learning, 3, 137–142.
Norman, D. A. (1976). Memory and attention: An introduction to human information processing (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.
Paivio, A. (1971). Imagery and verbal processes. New York: Holt.
Patton, G. W., & Lantzy, P. D. (1987). Testing the limits of the phonetic mnemonic system. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 1, 263–271.
Slak, S. (1970). Phonetic recoding of digital information. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 86, 398–406.
Yates, F. A. (1966). The art of memory. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bellezza, F.S., Six, L.S. & Phillips, D.S. A mnemonic for remembering long strings of digits. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 30, 271–274 (1992). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03330462
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03330462