Elaborative Encoding

______________Elaborative Encoding ________________________

Elaborative encoding is a technique were you make connections to different objects (usually something ridiculous or very common to you) that allows us to make information easier to recall. Elaborative encoding can take many forms that varies with each person depending on what you think will be easiest to remember.

To use the “link system” you have to take keys words you are trying to remember and associate it to a memorable picture or sequence. When trying to remember someone’s name you can think of all the distinguishing facts about him or her or their appearance: a weird outfit, an unusual profession, the setting where you met… etc. Connecting these different details to the name will help you remember the name. Also using a sequence can help you remember. The first set is finding something like your house as your common place then placing ridiculous hints to what you're trying to remember. Next, you will need to walk through this common place several times, remembering it (it wont take long because the image sticks in your mind easily), then walk through the sequence when trying to remember whatever the words were.

 Another system you can use is Mnemonics. Here you use, instead of a key word, the initial of the words you are trying to remember and put them in an order that forms a word or sentence. A common example is the order of taxonomy,  “Kings Play Chess On Funny Green Spots” (Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species). Remembering this phrase is easy because its so weird that its hard to forget it.