Rote memorization creates weakness, UC Irvine study says

By Stephanie O'Neill

Published Jun 23, 2014 10:12 PM

Listen • 0:46

Does repetition go bad in the brain?

(

Photo by sizumaru/Yellow via Flickr Creative Commons

)

Michael Yassa, an assistant professor of neurobiology & behavior, at UCI.

UCI neurobiologist Michael Yassa said that these findings do not discredit the practice of repetitive learning, although pure repetition alone has limitations.

()

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

Anyone who has gone to school has done it – that repetitive style of learning known as “rote memorization."

The theory behind memorizing by repetition is the more you go over a particular bit of information, the easier it is to recall. But neuroscientists are now finding that the recall ability you will likely gain from the technique may come at a price.

A new UC Irvine study, published in the journal “Learning & Memory” provides the first empirical evidence that rote memorization can actually harm memory for detail, leaving a void that could even pave the way for false memories, say researchers Michael Yassa and Zachariah Reagh.

So where does repetition go bad in the brain?

Support for LAist comes from

Become a sponsor

Think of the game of telephone – except instead of distortion happening when a story is whispered from person-to-person, it’s the detail that gets lost or twisted around when the brain goes over it repeatedly.

The takeaway? Rote memorization isn't a bad thing, per se. But you might want to use other memory methods, like creating strong visual images — or word associations — of things you’re trying to remember.

DOCUMENT: Read the UC Irvine study