How to hack your memory with memory training

Credit: CC0 Public Domain Can we train our brains to remember the things we want? We can’t remember everything. Instead, our brains pick out things that are important to burn into our long-term memory . But is there a way to take back control over our memories? Whether you’re studying for an exam or want to create the best holiday memories, here’s how to trick your brain into remembering the things you want. Give Yourself A Reward UWA experimental psychologist Dr. Alice Mason is researching how rewards can influence what we remember. "Rewards are anything that makes us feel good," she says. "Typically, we talk about primary rewards—so these are food, drugs and sex—and they activate the reward system in the brain and release a natural chemical called dopamine." In the lab, Alice uses money—a secondary reward—to look at how it can help people remember things. For instance, she might tell people to remember ‘cat’, ‘dog’ and ‘fish’, and if they remember ‘cat’, they’ll receive 20c. The technique works. And the best thing is you don’t even have to use real money. Being awarded points alone is enough to boost memory. "Just that feeling of doing well is enough to activate your reward system," Alice says. The downside? Awarding money or points can’t make you remember more items, they can only boost your memory for some items over others. Make It A Game Want to level up from the points technique? Create a game-like environment. Alice says we remember things best when there’s uncertainty about the reward. For instance, people are even more likely to remember the word ‘cat’ from a list when told that, if they remember it, they’ll get to roll a dice, and if they roll a 6, they’ll win a prize. In the classroom, this […]

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