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Mnemonic Devices and Memory Schemas

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Imagery and Related Mnemonic Processes

Abstract

Mnemonic devices have been considered by some psychologists to represent a form of “unnatural learning” (Jenkins, 1971, 1974; Neisser, 1976, pp. 141–142). In response to these objections, it will be argued here that the study of mnemonic devices is fundamental to our understanding of human learning and the operation of human memory. In fact, the notion of mental cues, so pervasive in the implementation of mnemonic techniques, plays an important role in the operation of memory schemas. The value of comparing mnemonic devices and memory schemas has been mentioned before (Battig & Bellezza, 1979; Bellezza, 1983a, 1986a) but has not been discussed in detail. The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate the similarities between these two knowledge structures and also to note some of their differences. In fact, instead of considering a mnemonic device as an unnatural and complicated form of learning, the proposal is made that a mnemonic device operates much like a memory schema. Many contemporary theories of memory consider memory schemas as important memory structures that automatically support natural learning. It is proposed here that mnemonic devices are simpler than memory schemas but seem complicated because the learner is very much aware of their operation.

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Authors
  1. Francis S. Bellezza
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, 46556, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA

    Mark A. McDaniel

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, N6A 5C2, Ontario, London, Canada

    Michael Pressley

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© 1987 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Bellezza, F.S. (1987). Mnemonic Devices and Memory Schemas. In: McDaniel, M.A., Pressley, M. (eds) Imagery and Related Mnemonic Processes. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4676-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4676-3_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9111-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-4676-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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