12 Elaborate Activity 2
Activity #E2: Name Elaboration
Ever have trouble remembering someone’s name? “YES, almost all of the time” is the common response. By the way, this is also true even if you are a memory researcher 😉
Remembering a name can be a great way to practice the skill of elaboration and impress those you meet!
When you learn a name, consider the cartoon images below: William Baker and Emma Jewell. In these examples, you can imagine William wearing a baker’s hat and Emma with jewelry on to remember their names. You are elaborating by using something visual and connected to their name to create an image. Not all people you meet will have such simple and visual names to learn though.
Consider this scenario: You have a job interview today. Your nerves are running high, which means you are easily distracted (remember how listening is impacted when you are distracted?). Losing focus due to being anxious often happens when learning and, as you now know, can hijack your ability to think clearly. Considering this you need to put your new skill of elaboration to use for the interview.
You walk into the interview room and are greeted by Mrs. Garcia. With laser attention, you listen to her name while smiling. You tell her your name and then repeat hers, “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Garcia, thank you for meeting with me today.” Saying her name ensures you have 1 path (*up the mountain, remember the picture from before) to remembering it. But you need more. Quick, try to elaborate by adding as much detail in your mind to help you remember her name. You may consider the room, how Mrs. Garcia is seated, a facial feature like glasses (glasses start with a “g” like Garcia), or a friend she reminds you of….ANYTHING as long as it is related to your current state of mind AND makes you think of Mrs. Garcia.
Now you have built more than one connection to her name, and you are WAY more likely to remember it later when you thank her at the end of the interview. You will stand out for remembering her name, and it could help you get the job!
If you enjoy elaboration to remember names, you may want to become a contestant in the next Memory Olympics. The United States version is described here: https://www.usamemorychampionship.com/
In this competition to find the next great memory master, contestants compete in the “names and faces” event. It is like a job interview with the addition of having to remember several names in one sitting. According to their event site, “Mental Athletes will have 15 minutes to memorize 135 color photos of different people, with a first and second name written below each picture.”
Once the memorization period is over, competitors are given 20 minutes for recall. Mental Athletes are given the same photos again but without the names and in a different order from the memorization sheet. A point is awarded for every correctly spelled name, either first or last.
How do they do it? Or maybe you’re asking, why do they do it? In either case, they use the tool of elaboration. In order to remember they build off of the person’s face and name (using images, sound, personal thoughts, actions….ANYTHING detailed) to ensure they can remember.
Activity #E2.1
