Question

What three fundamental principles underlie the use of mnemonics? Please describe each of the three principles in your own words.

 

Answer 1

The three fundamental principles that underlie the use of mnemonics are Imagination, Association, and Location. These features are discussed as follows:

Imagination - One’s imaginative abilities is what one uses to create mnemonics that are meaningful, relevant and potent. The more vividly a particular situation is visualized in one’s head, the more likely it is to be recalled later.

Association – In order to recall a string of information effectively, more must be able to draw a chain of associations between them. When slices of data are pieced together through some common associations, the recollection of one aspect leads to the recall of the others as well.

Location – Location has a dual role to play when it comes to using mnemonics. Firstly, it provides an overall framework and context in which the information is placed. Secondly, because separate bits of information would be placed in different “locations”, this principle also provides a method of distinguishing between two or more pieces of data.