Russell N. Carney

Coming to Terms with the Keyword Method in Introductory Psychology: A “Neuromnemonic” Example

An introductory psychology course presents extensive new terminology to beginning students—a lexicon that may prove difficult to master. A useful technique in this regard is the mnemonic keyword method. However, because textbook examples often focus on the acquisition of foreign vocabulary, students and instructors may not see the relevance of the keyword method for the learning of terminology in psychology. To illustrate this connection, we provide a set of “neuromnemonic” material that we developed for terminology relaxed to the central nervous system. Furthermore, we describe a simple experiment in which we compared 2 versions of our keyword approach to a repetition condition. The 2 mnemonic approaches produced advantages on an immediate definition-memory test as well as on a task that required application of the material learned. These findings provide additional evidence that mnemonic strategies facilitate more than just rote memorization of facts.

Enhancing the Psychology of Memory by Enhancing Memory of Psychology

Perhaps the classic introduction of mnemonic techniques to introductory psychology students is the textbook or the instructor describing a few simple examples. However, such examples may be insufficient to convince students of the utility of such techniques for their own learning. We offer supplementary instructional suggestions, along with specific examples, for enhancing students’ motivation to apply mnemonic strategies. First, confidence in the efficacy of mnemonic strategies is fostered through actual demonstrations, or mnemonstrations, initially provided by the instructor and then by the students themselves. Second, greater perceived personal relevance of mnemonic strategies is established by helping students apply the strategies directly to psychology course content on which they will be tested.

Mnemonic Learning of Artists and Their Paintings

Three experiments were conducted in which the “face-name” mnemonic (e.g., McCarty, 1980) was adapted for use in learning 30 painting/artist associations, the kind of task one faces in an art appreciation class. While control groups used their “own best method” for learning who painted what paintings, subjects in mnemonic conditions were given keywords for the artists’ names and meaningful interactions between corresponding keywords and paintings. In one mnemonic condition, pen-and-ink sketches of the interactions were provided. A second mnemonic condition provided verbal decriptions of the interactions. Undergraduate subjects in mnemonic conditions were better able to match artists and their paintings. Further, subjects using the verbal version of the mnemonic strategy were somewhat superior in an artist-recall task. Similar patterns of results were found on immediate and 2-day delayed performance tasks. Implications of the results, and considerations of the weaker recall effects, are included in the discussion.

Got Neurons? Teaching Neuroscience Mnemonically Promotes Retention and Higher-Order Thinking

The purpose of this study was to determine whether introductory psychology students could make effective use of the mnemonic keyword method in: (a) initially acquiring 26 neuroscience terms; (b) retaining this information over time; and (c) applying what they learned to a task requiring some degree of higher-order thinking. In two separate classes, 70 participants were trained either to use the keyword method or their own best method to study the neuroscience terms. After a 5-day delay, students returned to complete an unannounced assessment of the neuroscience terms. Based on a reduced sample of 58 ‘eligible’ participants, results indicated that students using the keyword method outperformed their own-best-method counterparts on immediate, delayed, and higher-order thinking assessments. The findings support the literature on the utility and power of the keyword method in actual psychology classroom learning contexts.

Facing Facts: Can the Face-Name Mnemonic Strategy Accommodate Additional Factual Information?

In 3 experiments, undergraduates used their own best method (control) or an “imposed” face-name mnemonic strategy to associate 18 caricatured faces, names, and additional facts. On all immediate tests (prompted by the faces), and on the delayed tests of Experiments 2a and 2b combined, mnemonic students statistically outperformed control students on name and political affiliation identification measures as well as on name-affiliation pairs. Interference issues were examined in the latter 2 experiments. The study findings replicate prior positive findings with the face-name mnemonic and demonstrate that additional factual information can be successfully added to the face-name mnemonic strategy through implementation of the present mnemonic format.

Building Positive Relationships in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers in Child Care

Positive relationships are critical for the healthy development of infants and toddlers. This chapter provides an overview of familiar theories of child devel- opment, and brain-based research that supports this view. We then provide practical suggestions for building positive relationships in the lives of infants and toddlers in child care.

The "Lake Wobegon Effect": Implications for the Assessment of Exceptional Children.

In 1988, the summer issue of Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice was devoted to discussions of the “Lake Wobegon effect.” This effect refers to Cannells (1987) conclusion that all 50 states were above the national average in performance on standardized achievement tests. Subsequent research has tended to support several of Cannells claims. However, commentary and research to date have focused exclusively on regular education. This article describes the Lake Wobegon effect and its implications for the assessment of exceptional children.