One simple trick to improve your memory

Nudge

There is one straightforward trick to help you remember more. Today, Dr. Ranganath reveals why testing yourself (even when you fail) can supercharge your memory.

You’ll learn:

Why re-reading notes doesn’t work, but testing yourself does.

How a study with dental students proved the power of error-driven learning.

Why guessing the answer before hearing it makes information stick.

The science-backed technique that beats cramming for exams.

How I memorised my (embarrassing) best man speech

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Charan’s book Why We Remember: https://charanranganath.com/

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Sources:

Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Über das Gedächtnis: Untersuchungen zur experimentellen Psychologie. Duncker & Humblot.

Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L., III. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865).

Liu, X. L., O’Reilly, R. C., & Ranganath, C. (2021). Effects of retrieval practice on tested and untested information: Cortico-hippocampal interactions and error-driven learning. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 75, 125–155.

Ranganath, C. (2024). Why we remember: Unlocking memory’s power to hold on to what matters. Doubleday.

Roediger, H. L., III, & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3).

Shotton, R. (2023). The illusion of choice: 16 ½ psychological biases that influence what we buy. Harriman House.

Varghese, A. S., Sankeshwari, R. M., Ankola, A. V., Santhosh, V. N., Chavan, P., Hampiholi, V., Khot, A. J. P., & Shah, M. A. (2024). Effectiveness of error-based active learning compared to conventional lecture-based method among undergraduate dental students: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 13, 268.