Description of Problem and Opportunity
A cursory search of online databases like Google Scholar and EbscoHost shows that there is a dearth of research on memory and methods to recalling information. Most prominent papers on the matter were completed in the 1970’s and 1980’s (Google 2016). This, of course, demonstrates a need for updated findings and potential new methods for information memorization. Looking to sites intending to be scholarly – and indeed, there is no indication of a lack of research – the most common modern methods to memorize any information, empirical or scientific, can be whittled down to precious few.
The most typical methods are “chunking”, mnemonics and “pegging”. “Chunking” is taking large blocks of information and breaking it up, thereby making the amount to memorize appear smaller (Howes 2015). For example, pi is an irrational number whose decimal value reaches infinity. However, to join the elusive pi club, all one must do is memorize a thousand digits. One thousand is obviously a lot, so chunking calls for breaking this down into groups of three to five numbers. This reduces strain on the brain and enables a person to memorize the thousand digits moderately quickly.
Mnemonics are a method that every middle school teacher loves to pump into their students’ collective consciousness, because it makes learning fun and easy. For this method, one would take the information to learn and connect it all together, through the power of creative acronyms. Of course, mnemonics are not a very strong method for memorization, since the user must keep in mind the acronym, and each individual part.
The final main road to memorization is “pegging”. Here, a user will associate each individual piece of information with a place in his/her house, a grocery store, or any place with multiple areas that a person could visualize and connect to. This is likely the most effective memorization technique, since it personalizes the information and draws the attention. (And, attention draws interest, which makes memorization easier, according to Bill Powell (2012).)
With the problem being a lack of proper memorization methods that have been given special attention in the twenty-first century, there must be a solution or improvement. The thought with the following is that a universally enjoyed activity is listening to music, and with the right environment, music could enhance learning (i.e. memorization). This draws from the previously mentioned thought that attention increases interest, and interest increases memorization ability.
Musical association would combine the principals of “pegging” with a personalized environment. Therefore, listening to music while studying or memorizing information would allow a person to keep more information in mind for a longer period.
Population and Sampling Method
While the information potentially gleaned from this experiment could feasibly apply to anyone attempting to learn an activity, the population utilized would be collected from university students. In this way, a convenience sampling would be utilized, since they would be the most accessible for research. Additionally, since university students have a constant flow of information to attend, they would be ideal candidates to determine just what makes memorization the most efficient. (Not that they would be using their notes in the study, just that they could benefit to the largest degree out of anyone.) However, actually enlisting candidates would be random, so that no one major, socioeconomic stratigraphy or other demographic is over- or underrepresented. (That is, it would be a random sampling.) Similarly, music tastes would be neglected in the study, in order to maintain fairness to the various participants’ backgrounds.
Data Collection and Measurement
Like many research articles before this, data would be collected through relatively simple means. Generate lists of arbitrary numbers, and provide the sample population with the list one. For this one, participants would be instructed to memorize as many numbers in order as they can. This test would serve as the control. After this, participants would be instructed to listen to music – any music – and try to relate the numbers of a second list (again, in order) the music being played. At the end of the time (say, one minute), have participants replay the music and determine if any improvement was made. Other samples could be garnered via the chunking and pegging methods of memorization, for means of comparison.
Conclusion
Given the possibility that music could potentially serve only as a distraction (rather than the intended means of increasing the ability to pay attention), it is quite possible that musical association for purposes of memorization is negligible, if not detrimental. Additionally, this method of testing would only quantify for short-term memory, which misses the target slightly, regarding whether this type of memorization would truly prove beneficial. Regardless, most people, college students especially, listen to music at least some of the time, so it is worth looking into for a correlation to memorization.
References
Google Scholar. (2016). “Auditory Memorization.” Google.com.
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=auditory+memorization+scholarly+sources&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwickZ37jN3KAhXCxxQKHUNQASQQgQMIGjAA>.
Howes, R. (2015). Part 1: Learn How to Memorize - Top 6 Memorization Techniques.
OneClass: Notesolution, Inc. < https://oneclass.com/blog/knowledge/9820-part-1-
learn-how-to-memorize-top-6-memorization-techniques>.
(2015). Memorization Techniques. Salem, Oregon: Willamette University.
<http://willamette.edu/offices/lcenter/resources/study_strategies/memorization.html>.
Powell, B. (2012). The Dark Side of Mnemonics. How to Remember.
<http://howtoremember.biz/content/dark-side-mnemonics>.
