Losing keys, everyday objects may not always be a sign of poor memory

 The new book 'The Psychology of Memory' by two US professors from Rhode Island College and Indiana University suggests that anyone can boost their powers of recall, and that "losing keys is normal."

IANS, 29 April 2024 : Are you worried that your habit of losing keys and everyday items may be a sign of poor memory? Well, a new book suggests that it may not be the case "always." The new book 'The Psychology of Memory' by two American professors from Rhode Island College and Indiana University suggests that anyone can increase their memory powers, and "it is normal to lose the keys." 

In the book, Dr Megan Sumeracki and Dr Althea Need Kaminske stated that storing and retrieving information is far more complex than people think.

The book also highlighted simple recollection-boosting techniques to improve learning.

"Because we are most aware of our memory when we are having trouble remembering something, our intuition about how memory works may be a little biased," de Kaminske said.

“You won't be surprised to learn that our memory system is designed to remember where we put our phone. Or keys. Or water bottles."

“Though we would hazard a guess that if we were in a survival scenario where dehydration was a concern, we would be much more aware of water sources."

"People are better at remembering information when they process it in a fitness-relevant scenario, such as being stranded in the grasslands of a foreign land," the authors said.

Additionally, the book shows how alcohol, lack of sleep, and caffeine can impair memory.

The authors suggested memory-enhancing techniques such as 'retrieval practice' – a strategy for 'pulling' facts from memory. For example, intentionally addressing a new co-worker by name each time you see him or her can help you remember the name.