Brain Fitness Tip of the Month
Memory Tip: The problem of remembering names
Have you ever been introduced to someone, only to “forget” their name seconds later? Next time, really focus on that person and hearing their name. For example, imagine their name spelled out flashing in lights on their forehead as a way to improve your “attenionability.”
Why does this work? Learning a person’s name (or any new piece of information) depends on paying attention in the first place in order to put it into our short-term, or working memory. Often when we can’t recall a name of a person we just met it’s because we were distracted (by thinking about what you will say, by admiring what s/he is wearing, etc.), and therefore, not paying attention in the first place. Train yourself to really pay attention from the get-go, and see if your recall improves.
Have you ever been introduced to someone, only to “forget” their name seconds later? Next time, really focus on that person and hearing their name. For example, imagine their name spelled out flashing in lights on their forehead as a way to improve your “attenionability.”
Why does this work? Learning a person’s name (or any new piece of information) depends on paying attention in the first place in order to put it into our short-term, or working memory. Often when we can’t recall a name of a person we just met it’s because we were distracted (by thinking about what you will say, by admiring what s/he is wearing, etc.), and therefore, not paying attention in the first place. Train yourself to really pay attention from the get-go, and see if your recall improves.
