Face Recognition for Improving Memory Skills
How Name-Face recall works?
Researches indicate that learning proper names (face recognition) is more difficult than learning other types of information. One leading theory that attempts to explain this difficulty is the “Transmission Deficit Hypothesis”. This theory suggests that the memory is like a network; It is composed of nodes, and connection between nodes. Each node holds a piece of information and the connections represent the association between pieces of information. This network holds the entire person’s knowledge. According to this theory proper names are hard to acquire since generally proper names has only single connection to the individuals that they represent.
How do we access the knowledge? Accessing knowledge requires activation of the node that holds the relevant information. The activation may spread among associated nodes. The process of putting a name to a face starts by activating the node that holds the visual representation of the person and spreading the activation to associated nodes – hopefully one of these contains the name of the person. If the association between the two nodes is not strong it would be hard to retrieve the name!
Due to this architecture the following mnemonics may turn to be useful:
Attention – The basic condition for accessing information is having it. When paying attention to the information, the probability for its encoding rises.
Rehearsal – strength the connection between the visual representation and the name of the person. The rehearsal can take different forms: repeat each name presented out loud, perform manipulations on the information such as repeating it in different orders.
Association – when the information is linked with other nodes its accessibility rises, making it easier to retrieve it. So if you meet a person named Seaborne that has tan skin and you create the following association: “If you have a tanned skin you are likely to be Sea-Born”. This association facilitates the existing connection by enforcing semantic association. You could also use different means of association like linking it with other information nodes – “His name is just like the name of our former next door neighbors “. Using this method should increase the number of connections of the node holding the name – making it easier to activate it.
All these mnemonics requires practice – it’s not easy to make associations during a conversation, but practicing it “off-line” can help you make it a second nature.
References:
Comparison of the efficacy of two name-learning techniques: expanding rehearsal and name-face imagery. By Neuschatz JS, Preston EL, Toglia MP, Neuschatz JS. On American Journal of Psychology. 2005 Spring;118(1):79-101
Recognition memory measures yield disproportionate effects of aging on learning face-name associations. By James LE, Fogler KA, Tauber SK. On Psychology of Aging. 2008 Sep;23(3):657-64
