Ines Bramao, associate professor of psychology at Lund University, and her colleagues claim that we retain information more easily when it is transmitted by someone we like or admire
Our memories enable us to store information from different sources, retain it and use it when needed. But some things are harder to remember than others. A Swedish study suggests that this phenomenon is due to the feelings inspired by the person teaching us.
Inês Bramão, associate professor of psychology at Lund University, and her colleagues claim that we retain information more easily when it is transmitted by someone we like or admire. The authors of this study reached this conclusion after conducting three experiments involving a total of 189 volunteers. They were asked to remember and associate different everyday objects. They were also asked to define their likes and dislikes in terms of political opinions, eating habits, hobbies, favorite sports and other areas of interest.
The researchers discovered that participants had an easier time remembering the objects they had to memorize and linking them together when they were presented by someone they knew. And another interesting finding was that the participants' feelings towards this person had a direct influence on their ability to memorize.
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