Elaborative Encoding

• Elaborative Encoding involves linking new information with old knowledge to improve memory encoding and retention.
• This technique enhances understanding by creating connections between new concepts and existing memories, often through vivid imagery, associations, or analogies.
• People with ADHD often exhibit creative thinking, making leaps and connections between ideas and concepts.^[1] These abilities can be harnessed to create engaging and stimulating mnemonic devices, making information more memorable.

Examples

• Association:
  • Connecting new information to similar-sounding words, familiar objects, or personal experiences to make recall easier.
  • Example: Remembering that "gato" means cat in Spanish by associating it with the word "gate" and recalling a childhood memory of a cat always sitting on your garden gate.
• Storytelling:
  • Constructing a narrative that ties together multiple facts or concepts, embedding them in a memorable context.
  • Example: Remembering key points of a historical event by crafting a story about the people and their motivations.
• Visualization:
  • Creating vivid mental images that connect new information with familiar concepts.
  • Example: Picturing an atom as a solar system, with electrons orbiting like planets around the nucleus (sun).
  • Note: This can overlap with Method of Loci and concept mapping when using spatial memory.
• Analogy:
  • Comparing unfamiliar concepts to well-understood ideas.
  • Example: Explaining electricity flow in a circuit by comparing it to water flowing through pipes.

Discussion

Elaborative Encoding is a highly effective mitigation for individuals with ADHD, leveraging their creativity and unique thought processes to enhance memory and understanding. It works in harmony with mnemonic devices by transforming raw information into structured, relatable content. Techniques like Method of Loci and concept mapping add spatial and visual dimensions to elaborative encoding, reinforcing connections and improving recall. This strategy not only supports memory retention but also transforms learning into an engaging and stimulating experience, reducing resistance to challenging tasks. By linking the unfamiliar with the familiar, elaborative encoding provides a practical and creative way to navigate complex information.

Sub- and Co-Mitigations

Expressions

Metadata

Sources

Elaborative Rehearsal: A Better Way to Memorize
The Creativity of ADHD | Scientific American

Tags

#m0009 #m0009-002