Page 47 - The Creative Training Idea Book Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning

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36 The Creative Training Idea Book
person tells you the name, you are mentally busy exam-
ining his or her appearance and trying to give your
own name at the same time.
Storage or strengthening must occur shortly
Memories
after information is received in order to reinforce
what was originally received. In the example of
meeting someone, it is helpful to repeat imme-
diately and later use the person’s name as you
talk with him or her. This allows you to process
it mentally as you recall the name and to hear
it as you say it back to the person. The more
you do this, the greater the chance that you will
retain the name. Similarly, in a classroom, ask
participants to stop periodically after 15–20 min-
utes to review and process material received. Have
them verbally exchange or repeat what they have
heard in an activity.
Retrieval is a crucial process in remembering some-
thing. Without the ability to retrieve what was attained, a
person did not really remember it. Think of tests that you crammed for in school in
order to recall the material the next day on a test. Later in the week or many years later,
you likely could not recall much of that information unless it had been reinforced or
learned in other ways. Retrieval of information through association with a known cue
is often helpful in reinforcing a mental image. There are many memory tools to assist
in doing this, some of which are covered later in this section.

Categories of Memory

Beginning in the 1980s researchers started to realize that people are often influenced by
earlier experiences without consciously being aware of the fact that they are remember-
ing something. As a result of this revelation, scientists typically group retrieval into two
categories: implicit and explicit memory.

Implicit Memory

This category of memory refers to a person retrieving information from his or her sub-
conscious mind without trying to do so. For example, think of times when you were
writing something and a word that you do not regularly use popped into your head. You
may not have recalled the exact definition, but knew the word was correct for the
context in which you were using it. Similarly, when applying grammar rules to written
material, most people familiar with the rules of the English language can appropriately
apply them, but cannot explain why the usage is correct. They might say, when ques-
tioned, “I don’t know, it just sounds right.”