Long Term Memory

Long term memory can be improved with the use of imagery and information storage. Imagery aids memory because it allows you to associate a mental image with the information. Suppose you need to remember that your instructor has explained that during initial encounters between strangers, people will generally speak in short sentences, maintain appropriate distances, and not disclose personal information. Instead of trying to remember only these three elements, you should picture yourself in the situation your professor has discussed. Thus, imagine yourself in a familiar place, meeting an unfamiliar person. Think about what might be said and how you would appear to a third person watching the interaction.

You can also improve your long-term memory through various information storage techniques. Perhaps the most frequently used of these techniques involves associating each letter of "ithmetic" by recalling the sentences "rat in the house may eat the ice cream".

You can also remember information by placing bits of information into categories or related clusters and by associating the information with other things. This technique may help if you have trouble remembering people's names. When you meet someone, you can associate the person with the place where you met or the new person's job or major. Upon meeting the person a second time, you will have a greater context of information to help recall his or her name.

The ancient Greeks employed a memory system that can still be used today. The system of loc ("laces") works by associating parts of what you are remembering with parts of something that is very familiar to you. You can remember a speech you have to give by associating your main points with different parts of your dorm room, apartment, or home. You can, for example, associate the introduction of your speech with walking through your front door and then proceed to associate different points of the speech with different parts of your home as you would come across them. In this way, when you give your speech, you can remember the content by visualizing yourself walking through your home. This concept shows why using analogies is an effective communication skill.