Mnemonic Enhancement and General Technical Ability
Abstract
To increase both training effectiveness and the operational proficiency of the soldier, techniques which increase the cognitive capacities of soldiers appear to have considerable potential. The current experiment is the first in a series of studies designed to examine techniques which purport to enhance the effectiveness of human memory. This first experiment examined the utility of a simple pegword mnemonic for Army enlisted personnel representing three levels of general technical (GT) ability: 90 and below 91 to 109, and 110 and above. Twenty-four personnel were sampled from each of the three GT levels. Half the personnel in each group were instructed in the use of a rhyme pegword mnemonic. All personnel learned three lists of digit-noun associations. The digits one through ten were employed as the cues for all lists. The response items were rated in terms of their potential for evoking memory images. One list had low imagery values, one intermediate, and one high. At the end of the experiment, the personnel attempted to recall all three lists. It was found that the initial acquisition of the lists is a positive function of the imagery level of the response items as well as a positive function of the GT level of the personnel. It was also found that only the high GT group (GT equal to or greater than 110) is able to employ the mnemonic to advantage. The final recall test indicates a precipitous loss of information across lists for all conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA061314
Entities
People
- Douglas Griffith
- Tomme R. Actkinson
Organizations
- U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences