New research published in the July issue of Cognition indicates that using gestures while studying can dramatically improve learning and memory.
The study, done by Susan Wagner Cook at the University of Rochester, showed that kids asked to physically gesture at math problems were almost three times more likely than non-gesturers to remember what they learned.
This important strategy should help improve your learning efficiency and memory. It’s presented in college student context, but of course applies to anyone looking for a good study tip.
You’ve decided you’ve got four hours this weekend to review for your psychology exam. Is it better to do it all in one 4-hour session, or divide it up into four separate 1-hour sessions? The first strategy is referred to as massed practice, and the second is referred to as distributed practice.
This article reveals what modern neuroscience has learned about sleep as it applies to learning and memory. I believe this information can be of great benefit not only to students looking to improve their study skills, but to anyone interested in improving their memory and learning potential.
Can certain smells boost brain power? Let’s first take a look at what else certain odors can do:
Your mental energy and ability to concentrate depend to a very large extent on the types of food you eat. Unfortunately, most people fall short when it comes to understanding how to best feed the brain. Here’s a short tip you may find helpful:
One of the main benefits of stimulant drugs (such as cocaine, ephedrine, and amphetamines like Ritalin) is their ability to dramatically increase mental energy and concentration. They can make it easier to focus on your work and studies for prolonged periods of time.
How is this achieved? Basically, it’s thought that psychostimulants increase catecholamine neurotransmission in the brain.
Can college students pull an ‘All-Nighter’—staying up the entire night to cram for a test—and have their brains function close to normal the next day? The majority, of course, think so …
But several studies clearly show brain function takes a big hit after an all-nighter. Memory systems and frontal lobe function especially suffer. [References 2-6 below]
The neurologic theory of Consolidation states that things you learn during the day are etched more permanently down in memory at night while you sleep. In other words, sleep plays a major role in learning and memorizing.
New proof of this process comes from researchers out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who recently published their work in the December 18th issue of Nature Neuroscience.