A mnemonic device (pronounced /nɨˈmɒnɨk/[1]) is a mind Mind is the aspect of intellect and consciousness experienced as combinations of thought, perception, memory, emotion, will and imagination, including all unconscious cognitive processes. The term is often used to refer, by implication, to the thought processes of reason. Mind manifests itself subjectively as a stream of consciousness memory In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing the memory. The late nineteenth and early twentieth century put memory within the paradigms of cognitive psychology. In recent decades, it has and/or learning Learning is acquiring new knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, preferences or understanding, and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves aid. Commonly, mnemonics are verbal—such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something—but may be visual, kinesthetic or auditory. Mnemonics rely on associations between easy-to-remember constructs which can be related back to the data that is to be remembered. This is based on the principle that the human mind much more easily remembers spatial, personal, surprising, sexual, humorous or otherwise meaningful information than arbitrary sequences.

The word mnemonic is derived from the Ancient Greek Ancient Greek is the historical stage in the development of the Greek language spanning the Archaic , Classical (c. 5th–4th centuries BC), and Hellenistic (c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD) periods of ancient Greece and the ancient world. It is predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek. Its Hellenistic phase is known as Koine (& word μνημονικός mnēmonikós ("of memory") and is related to Mnemosyne In Hesiod's Theogony, kings and poets receive their powers of authoritative speech from their possession of Mnemosyne and their special relationship with the Muses ("remembrance"), the name of the goddess of memory In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing the memory. The late nineteenth and early twentieth century put memory within the paradigms of cognitive psychology. In recent decades, it has in Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece. Modern scholars refer to the myths and study them in an attempt to throw light on the. Both of these words refer back to μνῆμα mnḗma ("remembrance").[2] Mnemonics in antiquity were most often considered in the context of what is today known as the Art of Memory The Art of Memory or Ars Memorativa is a general term used to designate a loosely associated group of mnemonic principles and techniques used to organize memory impressions, improve recall, and assist in the combination and 'invention' of ideas. It is sometimes referred to as mnemotechnics. It is an 'art' in the Aristotelian sense, which is to say.

The major assumption in antiquity was that there are two sorts of memory: the "natural" memory and the "artificial" memory. The former is inborn and is the one that everyone uses every day. The latter is trained through learning and practicing a variety of mnemonic techniques. It can also be used to perform feats of memory that are quite extraordinary or impossible to carry out using the natural memory alone.

Contents

First letter mnemonics

One common mnemonic for remembering lists consists of an easily remembered acronym Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name. These components may be individual letters or parts of words (as in Benelux). There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms (see nomenclature), nor on written usage (see orthographic styling). While popular, or phrase with an acronym that is associated with the list items. The idea lends itself well to memorizing hard-to-break passwords A password is a secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource . The password should be kept secret from those not allowed access as well.

For example, to remember the "classic" named colours of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet), it can be easier for some people to remember the mnemonics "Roy G. Biv" (a made-up name) instead. Or in reverse "VIBGYOR" pronounced "vib-GYOr". Or easier: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain.

Another example is an acrostic An acrostic is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message. As a form of constrained writing, an acrostic can be used as a mnemonic device to aid memory retrieval. A famous acrostic was made in Greek for the acclamation such as the Zoology mnemonic The mnemonic, King Penguins congregate on frozen ground sometimes has the first letter of each word of the mnemonic corresponding in order to the first letter of the descending order of scientific classification. Keep pond clean or frogs get sick is a phrase commonly used as a shorter alternative, used to remember the scientific classification applied in zoology Zoology , occasionally also spelt zoölogy, is the branch of biology that focuses on the structure, function, behavior, and evolution of animals.

Other mnemonic systems

Arbitrariness of mnemonics

A curious characteristic of many memory systems is that mnemonics work despite being (or possibly because of being) illogical or arbitrary. "Roy" is a legitimate first name, but there is no actual surname "Biv" and of course the middle initial "G" is arbitrary.[citation needed] Why is "Roy G. Biv" easy to remember in order to memorize the order that the seven colours of the rainbow appear? ROYGBIV can also be expressed as the almost meaningless phrase "Roy Great Britain the Fourth" again referencing "Roy" but using the GB national code for Great Britain and the Roman numerals for 4, viz: IV. The sentence "Richard of York gave battle in vain" is commonly used in the UK. School children in Singapore are sometimes taught "Raju Of Yishun Gave Birth In Vain", Raju being a common Indian name and Yishun being a residential area. The mnemonic for screw threads, "lefty loosey, righty tighty" only applies to half the circular arc when unscrewing or screwing in a nut, bolt or screw. It is reversed for the other half of the arc whereby any rightwards motion produces a torque which loosens the screw rather than tightens. Any two of the three months ending in -ember would fit just as euphoniously as September and November in "Thirty days hath...", yet most people can remember the rhyme correctly for a lifetime after having heard it once, and are never troubled by doubts as to which two of the -ember months have thirty days.[citation needed] A bizarre arbitrary association may stick in the mind better than a logical one.[citation needed]

One reason for the effectiveness of seemingly arbitrary mnemonics is the grouping of information provided by the mnemonic. Just as US phone numbers group 10 digits into three groups, the name "Roy G. Biv" groups seven colors into two short names and an initial. Various studies (most notably The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information" is one of the most highly cited papers in psychology. It was published in 1956 by the cognitive psychologist George A. Miller of Princeton University's Department of Psychology in Psychological Review) have shown that the human brain is capable of remembering only a limited number of arbitrary items in working memory; grouping these items into chunks permits the brain to hold more of them in memory.

Assembly mnemonics

In assembly language Assembly languages are a type of low-level languages for programming computers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and other integrated circuits. They implement a symbolic representation of the numeric machine codes and other constants needed to program a particular CPU architecture. This representation is usually defined by the hardware a mnemonic is a code, usually from 1 to 5 letters, that represents an opcode In computer technology, an opcode is the portion of a machine language instruction that specifies the operation to be performed. Their specification and format are laid out in the instruction set architecture of the processor in question (which may be a general CPU or a more specialized processing unit). Apart from the opcode itself, an, followed by one or more numbers (the operands 1) In computers, an operand is the part of a computer instruction that specifies data that is to be operating on or manipulated and, by extension, the data itself. Basically, a computer instruction describes an operation and the operand or operands on which the operation is to be performed).

Programming in machine code, by supplying the computer with the numbers of the operations it must perform, can be quite a burden, because for every operation the corresponding number must be looked up or remembered. Looking up all numbers takes a lot of time, and mis-remembering a number may introduce computer bugs A software bug is the common term used to describe an error, flaw, mistake, failure, or fault in a computer program or system that produces an incorrect or unexpected result, or causes it to behave in unintended ways. Most bugs arise from mistakes and errors made by people in either a program's source code or its design, and a few are caused by.

Therefore a set of mnemonics was devised. Each number was represented by an alphabetic code. So instead of entering the number corresponding to addition to add two numbers one can enter "add".

Although mnemonics differ between different CPU designs CPU design is the design engineering task of creating a central processing unit , a component of computer hardware. It is a subfield of electronics engineering and computer engineering some are common, for instance: "sub" (subtract), "div" (divide), "add" (add) and "mul" (multiply).

This type of mnemonic is different from the ones listed above in that instead of a way to make remembering numbers easier, it is a way to make remembering numbers unnecessary (i.e. by relying on the computer's assembler program to do the lookup work).

Assembler mnemonics do not necessarily have a one-to-one correspondence with opcodes. Sometimes, the same mnemonic is used for distinct (but related) operations, such as using "add" for both register+register and register+constant. Conversely, multiple mnemonics may use the same opcode: For example, if a processor has a "branch if less than" instruction but no "branch if greater than" instruction, a separate instruction mnemonic may be defined for "branch if greater than" and implemented as a "branch if less than" instruction with the operands reversed.

The IEEE 694 working group has produced a draft standard for assembly language mnemonics.[3]

Mnemonics in foreign language acquisition (Keyword - Method)

Mnemonics can be helpful in studying a foreign language, for example by adapting a foreign word that is hard to remember to a pre-existent phrase in the learner's native language - using folk etymology Folk etymology, in its basic sense, refers to popularly held beliefs about the origins of specific words, especially where these originate in "common-sense" assumptions rather than serious research (compare folk science, folk psychology etc.). In historical linguistics, the term is most often used in a more technical sense, to refer to a. This technique is also known as the "keyword mnemonic".[4] Linguist Ghil'ad Zuckermann has proposed many Anglo English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into South-East Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria. Following the economic, political, military, scientific, cultural, and colonial influence of Great Britain and the United Kingdom from the 18th century, and of-Hebraic Extinct as a regularly spoken language by the 4th century CE, but survived as a liturgical and literary language; revived in the 1880s lexical mnemonics for English English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into South-East Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria. Following the economic, political, military, scientific, cultural, and colonial influence of Great Britain and the United Kingdom from the 18th century, and of-speaking students of Israeli Hebrew 1United States Census 2000 PHC-T-37. Ability to Speak English by Language Spoken at Home: 2000. Table 1a.PDF .

For example, in trying to assist the learner to remember ohel, the Hebrew Extinct as a regularly spoken language by the 4th century CE, but survived as a liturgical and literary language; revived in the 1880s word for tent, Zuckermann proposes the memorable sentence "Oh hell, there's a raccoon in my tent". The memorable sentence "There's a fork in Ma’s leg" may help the learner remember that the Hebrew Extinct as a regularly spoken language by the 4th century CE, but survived as a liturgical and literary language; revived in the 1880s word for fork is mazleg, and so forth.[5]

The notable linguist Michel Thomas taught students to remember that estar is a Spanish verb for to be by using the phrase "to be a star".

The acronym mnemonic "bangs" is used to help English-speaking students of French to remember which adjectives go before the noun, "Beauty, Age, Number, Goodness, and Size". Also, phrases of position in French can easily be remembered with sentences, e.g. for 'pres de', meaning 'near to': "when you PRAY, you are NEAR TO God"; 'loin de', far from: "RWANDA is FAR FROM here", and 'à côté de', next to: "COATs on a hook are NEXT TO each other".

History of mnemonics

Further information: Art of memory The Art of Memory or Ars Memorativa is a general term used to designate a loosely associated group of mnemonic principles and techniques used to organize memory impressions, improve recall, and assist in the combination and 'invention' of ideas. It is sometimes referred to as mnemotechnics. It is an 'art' in the Aristotelian sense, which is to say
This section requires expansion.

See also

References

  1. ^ Catherine Soanes; Angus Stevenson; Sara Hawker, ed (29 March 2006). Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Computer Software) (11th ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. Entry mnemonic.
  2. ^ Liddell, H. G.; R. Scott (1889). Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 0-19-910206-6.
  3. ^ "How the IEEE Sets Microprocessor Standards"
  4. ^ Atkinson, R.C. (1975). "Mnemotechnics in Second-Language Learning", "American Psychologist", 39: 821-28.
  5. ^ "Anglo-Hebraic lexical mnemonics for English-speaking students of Israeli Hebrew", by Ghil'ad Zuckermann.

External links

Memory In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing the memory. The late nineteenth and early twentieth century put memory within the paradigms of cognitive psychology. In recent decades, it has
Basic concepts

Encoding In the study of memory, encoding is the processing of physical sensory input into one's memory. It is considered the first of three steps in memory information processing; the remaining two steps are storage and retrieval. During memory encoding, information may be processed about space, time, and frequency through automatic processing or • Storage The human memory has three processes: encoding , storage (throughput) and retrieval(output). Storage is the process of retaining information whether in the sensory memory, the short-term memory or the more permanent long-term memory • Recall When discussing memory, recall is the act of retrieving from long term memory a specific incident, fact or other item. A temporary failure to retrieve information from memory is known as the tip of the tongue phenomenon. Various means, including metacognitive strategies, priming, and measures of retention may be employed to improve later recall of

Attention Attention is the cognitive process of selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things. Attention has also been referred to as the allocation of processing resources • Memory consolidation Memory Consolidation is a category of processes that stabilize a memory trace after the initial acquisition. Consolidation is distinguished into two specific processes, Synaptic Consolidation, which occurs within the first few hours after learning and System Consolidation, where hippocampus-dependent memories become independent of the hippocampus • Neuroanatomy of memory The hippocampus is a structure in the brain that has been associated with various memory functions. It is part of the limbic system, and lies next to the medial temporal lobe. It is made up of two structures, the Ammon’s Horn, and the Dentate gyrus, each containing different types of cells
Long-term memory Long-term memory is memory that can last as little as a few days or as long as decades. It differs structurally and functionally from working memory or short-term memory, which ostensibly stores items for only around 18 seconds (Peterson and Peterson, 1959). Biologically, short-term memory is a temporary potentiation of neural connections that can Active recall Active recall is a principle of efficient learning, which claims the need to actively stimulate memory during the learning process. It contrasts with passive review, in which the learning material is processed passively • Autobiographical memory An autobiographical memory is a personal representation of general or specific events and personal facts. Autobiographical memory also refers to memory of a person’s history. An individual does not remember exactly everything that has happened in one’s past. Memory is constructive, where previous experience affects how we remember events and • Declarative memory Declarative memory is one of two types of long term human memory. It refers to memories which can be consciously recalled such as facts and events. Its counterpart is known as non-declarative or Procedural memory, which refers to unconscious memories such as skills (e.g. learning to ride a bicycle). Declarative memory can be divided into two • Episodic memory Episodic memory is the memory of autobiographical events that can be explicitly stated. Semantic and episodic memory together make up the category of declarative memory, which is one of the two major divisions in memory. The counterpart to declarative, or explicit memory, is procedural memory, or implicit memory • Explicit memory Explicit memory involves conscious recollection, compared with implicit memory which is an unconscious, nonintentional form of memory. Remembering a specific driving lesson is an example of explicit memory, while improving your driving skills during the lesson is an example of implicit memory • Flashbulb memory A flashbulb memory is a memory created in great detail during a personally significant event. These memories are perceived to have a "photographic" quality. The term was coined by Brown and Kulik, who found highly emotional memories were often vividly recalled, even some time after the event. For example, a great many people in the U.S • Hyperthymesia Hyperthymesia also known as piking or hyperthymestic syndrome is a condition where the affected individual has a superior autobiographical memory. "Thymesia" comes from the Greek word θύμησις, thymesis meaning "memory". As first described in the Neurocase article "A case of unusual autobiographical remembering," • Implicit memory Implicit memory is a type of memory in which previous experiences aid in the performance of a task without conscious awareness of these previous experiences. Evidence for implicit memory arises in priming, a process whereby subjects show improved performance on tasks for which they have been subconsciously prepared. Implicit memory also leads to • Procedural memory • Rote learning • Selective retention • Semantic memory • Tip of the tongue
Short-term memory The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two • Working memory
Sensory memory Echoic memory • Iconic memory • Motor learning • Visual memory • Eidetic memory
Forgetting Amnesia • Anterograde amnesia • Childhood amnesia • Decay theory • Forgetting curve • Interference theory • Motivated forgetting • Memory inhibition • Post-traumatic amnesia • Psychogenic amnesia • Repressed memory • Retrograde amnesia • Selective memory loss • Transient global amnesia • Weapon focus
Research Art of memory • Exceptional memory • Indirect tests of memory • Lost in the mall technique • Memory disorder • Methods used to study memory • Reconstruction of automobile destruction • The Seven Sins of Memory
Related concepts Absent-mindedness • Atkinson-Shiffrin memory model • Confabulation • Context-dependent memory • Cryptomnesia • Effect of Alcohol on Memory • Emotion and memory • Eidetic memory • Exosomatic memory • Flashbacks • Free recall • Involuntary memory • Levels-of-processing effect • List of memory biases • Memory and aging • Memory for the future • Memory and trauma • Metamemory • Mnemonic • Muscle memory • Prospective memory • Priming • Recovered memory therapy • Sleep and Memory • Source-monitoring error • Retrospective memory
Culture and society Cultural memory • False memory syndrome • Politics of memory • Shass Pollak • Transactive memory • World Memory Championships
Notable people Robert A. Bjork • Stephen J. Ceci • Susan Clancy • Dominic O'Brien • Hermann Ebbinghaus • Sigmund Freud • Jennifer Freyd • Patricia Goldman-Rakic • Jonathan Hancock • HM (patient) • Ivan Izquierdo • Judith Lewis Herman • Eric Kandel • KC (patient) • Elizabeth Loftus • Geoffrey Loftus • Marcia K. Johnson • James McGaugh • Paul R. McHugh • George Armitage Miller • Lynn Nadel • Ben Pridmore • Henry L. Roediger III • Steven Rose • Cosmos Rossellius • Daniel Schacter • Richard Shiffrin • Arthur P. Shimamura • Andriy Slyusarchuk • Larry Squire • Susumu Tonegawa • Anne Treisman • Endel Tulving

Categories: Mnemonics | Educational technology | Educational psychology | Memory processes

 

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1 : assisting or intended to assist memory; also : of or relating to . mnemonics. 2 : of or relating to memory. Some of the math geeks might be familiar with the . mnemonic. devices surrounding Pi. Wolfram Mathworld has a collection called Pi ...

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Can you think of a mnemonic that includes is about the animal classification names?
Q. Here are the names of the classification groups: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species If you don't know what a mnemonic is here's some help on that. It is sort of like an acrostic poem, to help you remember things. eg. to remember Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto I simply remember this: My Very Early Morning Jog Starts Up Near Phillip's
Asked by purple!!!! - Mon May 25 03:29:31 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Here's one I use, King Phillip Came Over For Green Spices I know it's weird, but it works for me!
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