Synonyms
Learning aid; Memory aid; Memory strategy
Definition
A mnemonic is a memory/learning aid. A mnemonic is an association between the information that needs to be recalled and information that is more easily recalled, specifically, information that has previous ingrained meaning, such as personal or humorous information (Soanes et al. 2006). Mnemonic techniques are cognitive cuing structures created by Bellezza (1981). A mnemonic is based on the concept that recall of arbitrary information is facilitated if associated with more meaningful information. Mnemonics are most common in verbal form and may be utilized to remember verbal, visual, or kinesthetic information.
Current Knowledge
Underlying Theory
To learn, individuals must store new information in the brain. Learning is achieved when one consolidates or reorganizes new information within previously existing representations of stored information. The first step towards new information storage is encoding, the process of...
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Sacks-Zimmerman, A.L., Lerma, V.C. (2018). Mnemonic Techniques. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1095
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