Are you trouble to remember what you’ve read? Many of the
students had this problem. Don’t worry here is the solution. If you find it
difficult to remember what you've read, try giving the memory time to
consolidate.
I have a great memory for books I've read on trains.
I have a great memory for books I've read on trains.
I always thought this had something to do with the nature
of train travel: the rocking of the carriage, the rhythm of the stops, the
continually changing picture window. Perhaps the combination of all these helps
induce a focus which is harder to achieve in familiar circumstances.
Or perhaps the answer is simpler.
Psychologists have found that brief resting periods after
learning aids memory. In studies, when people take a little rest after
learning, say, a string of numbers, they do better in recall than other people
who've been given another task straight away.
It is thought that this little rest helps consolidate the
memory, making it easier to retrieve. On the other hand if you go straight on
to another task, the memory doesn't have a chance to solidify.
I began to wonder if this suggested why I find it easier
to recall books I've read on trains.
Unlike at home where I read continuously, on a train I
tend to stop more frequently to look out of the window or see who is getting on
at the next stop. These would be exactly the type of restful periods described
in this research.
The problem is these findings have only been shown over
very short periods. That is until now.
10-minute break
In a new study the effect of a 10-minute break was tested
on participants' recall of a story 7 days later (Dewar et al., 2012).
They found that even after 7 days people's memory was
enhanced when they took a 10-minute break after reading the story. In fact, 7
days later people who'd taken a break were as good as those trying to recall
the story just 15-30 minutes later, but without the break.
So perhaps this helps explain why I have a clearer memory
of books I've read on trains.
It also shows that one of the pleasures of
reading—pausing to let it wash over you—is not only agreeable but also helps
you remember what you've read.
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