English: Complete neuron cell diagram. Neurons (also known as neurones and nerve cells) are electrically excitable cells in the nervous system that process and transmit information. In vertebrate animals, neurons are the core components of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My memory for names is patchy sometimes.  I can meet someone at a social function, hear their name, shake their hand and minutes later have forgotten what they are called.  Not a good attribute to display as the Christmas party season approaches.

I am going to try coaching myself to do better with remembering people’s names.  According to an item in the Guardian newspaper, about revising for exams, there might be a straightforward way to do this.

Pathways between neurons [the brain cells which store information] can be strengthened over time. Simple repetition – practising retrieving a memory over and over again – is the best form of consolidating the pattern.

I am going try using the person’s name a few times in conversation straightaway, to see if that locks it into my memory.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2012/nov/06/how-your-brain-likes-to-revise

Related articles

• Mystery of Memory: Why It’s Not Perfect (livescience.com)