Mnemonics

When asked to name the facial nerve branches would you go “to zanzibar by motor car”? If so, you’ve used a mnemonic and probably increased your chances of answering the question correctly. Chibuzo Odigwe and Sarah Davidson explain Among the many uses of mnemonics is the recollection of the branches of the facial nerve (temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, and cervical), as above. Although modern medical students employ numerous mnemonics, the idea of tying one thing to another to facilitate recollection is not new. The ancient Greeks and Romans had a system of mnemonics, that used the loci et res , method. This combined a familiar structure (locus) and the thing to be remembered (res), allowing information to be remembered in a serial order. ¹ The word itself can be traced to Mnemosyne, the Greek personification of memory. ¹

Can mnemonics be helpful?

Also referred to as memoria technica, a mnemonic can be defined broadly as “any device, procedure, or operation for aiding the memory in terms of both the acquisition and retrieval of learned material.”^1-4

“Mnemonic devices are unquestionably effective in aiding the recall of specific information. They may be troublesome at the start of a learning sequence, since they take time to initiate, but once there, they allow information to remain in place,” said one group of authors.⁵

The hidden utility of mnemonics stems from the attention that must be used to create sometimes bizarre associations. Forcing yourself to focus and learn the mnemonic is in itself a potent factor for encoding and retrieving information.^{6 7}

Individual learning style affects the kind of mnemonic you can use successfully. Visual learners study more effectively when they employ visual cues and are effective in written communication and symbol manipulation. Most people learn this way. Auditory learners relate more effectively to the spoken word. Kinaesthetic learners employ touch, movement, and space. Since information is not often presented in such a manner, kinaesthetic types may seem to be slower learners. Indeed, few people learn this way.^{6 7}

No one uses any one of the styles exclusively, but an individual’s dominant style may influence the ability to use mnemonics. Most mnemonics favour visual learners. Kinaesthetic and auditory learners can adjust mnemonics to suit their learning styles by using auditory cues or imagining actions.^{6 7}

Studies show that instruction in using mnemonics is an effective strategy for increasing scores of comprehension. On comprehension exams, students who have been trained in mnemonics on average outperform those who have not. One study including undergraduate students used mnemonic strategies to help in the recollection of paintings and their artists. The study showed repeatedly that students who used mnemonics substantially out-performed non-users on tests.^{8 9}

Problems with mnemonics

But mnemonics is a memory enhancing strategy only, and is not designed to enhance comprehension. Research shows that comprehension scores are higher for students using mnemonics because it increases their ability to recall factual information needed to answer a comprehension question.

For example, a student could understand the concept of cardiac physiology but be unable to remember the names of the arteries and veins. Through the use of mnemonic strategies the student is more likely to remember factual information, answer the question, and demonstrate comprehension. However, remembering factual information requires that a student understands the concept of landforms.^{9 10}

Problematically, the use of mnemonics overlooks the sequential fashion of learning. Mnemonics employs a memory technique, which is useful only after memory skills themselves have been learnt. Also by teaching memory crutches, students are less able to generalize specific information on more complex applications.²

Despite their limitations, mnemonics seem to be useful to medical students. But to avoid the problems of simply learning facts without comprehension, students should understand the concepts behind the facts before employing mnemonics.

Writing mnemonics

If you are certain you want to use mnemonics to help you get through an exam, there are ways of making your mnemonic more memorable and effective. It’s helpful to use humour. Funny or peculiar things are easier to remember than normal ones. Likewise, rude or sexual rhymes are often very difficult to forget. It’s also beneficial to use all the senses to code information or enhance an image. Your mnemonic can contain sounds, smells, tastes, touch, movements, and feelings as well as visual imagery, such as symbols or vivid images. Engaging as many senses as possible facilitates both encoding and retrieval, so the mnemonic is most likely to be remembered and recalled through association with a range of sensory experiences. Likewise, three dimensions and movement help to maintain the flow of association and remember actions. If possible, try to be in a similar environment and mood when retrieving the mnemonic information as when you learnt, since considerable research has shown the power of context specific memory, where memory recall is facilitated through the cues present in the environment.¹¹

Exaggerate the size of important parts of the image to build on the novelty of that part of your mnemonic, facilitating retrieval relative to other aspects. Most importantly, the mnemonic should clearly relate to the information to be remembered. It should be vivid enough to be remembered whenever you think about it.

Chibuzo Odigwe, fifth year medical student, , University of Calabar, Nigeria
Email: chibuzo2k2@yahoo.com

Sarah Davidson, Third Year Clinical & Academic Tutor Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology , University of East London



studentBMJ 2005;13:309-352 September ISSN 0966-6494

1. Encyclopedia Britannica—Micropedia. Chicago: Ready Reference, 1991.
2. O’Brien D. How to develop a perfect memory. London: Hodder Headline, 1994.
   
3. Scruggs TE, Mastropieri MA. Mnemonic instruction for students with learning disabilities: What it is and what it does.Learning Disabilities Q 1990;13: 271-80.
4. Yussen SR, Santrock JW.Child development. 2nd ed. Dubuque, IA: Wm C Brown Company, 1982.
5. Sprinthall NA, Sprinthall RC, Oja SN. Educational Psychology: a developmental approach. 6th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 1994.
6. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), University of Kansas. Special connections. www.specialconnections.ku.edu
7. Mind Tools. Essential skills for an excellent career. www.mindtools.com
8. Carney RN, Levin JR. Mnemonic instruction with a focus on transfer. J Educ Psychol 2000;92:783-90.
9. Mastropieri MA, Scruggs TE, Fulk BJM. Teaching abstract vocabulary with the keyword method: effects on recall and comprehension. J Learning Disabilities 1990;23:92-6.
10. Scruggs TE, Mastropieri MA, McLoone BB, Levin JR, Morrison C. Mnemonic facilitation of learning: disabled students’ memory for expository prose. J Educ Psychol 1987;79:27-34.
11. Godden D, Baddeley AD. When does context influence recognition memory? Br J Psychol 1980;71:99-104.