For most of us, undoubtedly the answer is yes. Just the mention of " your first kiss " brings a flood of memories, easily accessible and not faded by time. It is no surprise, then, that last month Tatia Pilieva’s video of complete strangers kissing for the first time became a viral sensation on YouTube.
Why was your first kiss so memorable?
Psychologist Haig Kouyoumdjian explains, "Think about your past school days of having to learn a set of new vocabulary words each week. Now, think back to the first kiss you had or your high school prom date. Most probably, you had to put forth great effort to remember the vocabulary words. In contrast, when you were actually having your first kiss or your prom date, I bet you weren’t trying to commit them to memory."
It’s all about the way that the brain is wired. Of all the sensory receptors in the brain, 70% are located in the eyes, and most of the sensory cortex is devoted to processing visual information. Kouyoumdjian puts it well when suggesting that our brain is primarily an image processor, not a word processor.
Achilles' Ear
Researchers James Bigelow and Amy Poremba at the University of Iowa have conducted a new study dubbed, “Achilles’ Ear.” They had their study subjects listen to recordings of sounds, view images of shapes, or feel vibrations of a metal bar. Each subject was then presented with a second sound, image or vibration and asked to recall if it was the same or different. The authors discovered that subjects were much more likely to make mistakes if they were presented only with a sound rather then images and vibrations. Furthermore, their ability to remember got worse at a much faster rate for sounds than for images or vibrations. The conclusion? We are much better at remembering things when we hear, feel and see them.
There are huge implications for communication here. Molecular biologist John Medina makes the connection clear in his book, Brain Rules. He argues for the need to expand communication beyond just the words on page or the text on the slide. He puts it bluntly: “Professionals everywhere need to know about the incredible inefficiency of text-based information and the incredible effects of images. Burn your current PowerPoint presentations and make new ones.”
How can you translate this knowledge to improve your own communications? Here are three tips:
Visualize data: Present numbers in charts instead of text. To explain that your company's market share growth in Asia is double the growth in Europe, even a simple line graph or pie/bar chart will make a greater impact than text.
Translate concepts to images: Identify a memorable image that easily translates into words and sounds for each point you are trying to communicate. Have a dialog with your audience or customer to bring a sense of sound into your presentation.
Personalize with a hands-on experience: Let your audience "touch" your presentation. When presenting on a tablet, for example, don't be afraid to hand it over and let your audience navigate your presentation with you.
The idea that we learn and remember more by seeing and doing has long been present in folk history. The Chinese philosopher Confucius is famously quoted as saying, "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
Confucius may not have been thinking of first kisses when he shared this wisdom, but the basic principles are the same. Images and interaction are the keys to better communication.
Photo*-Tatia Pilieva via inc.com, PLOS ONE Journal
At Vimodi, we are developing technology that helps users have a more engaging, responsive and effective visual discussions and dialogues. Vimodi enables visual mobile discussions for better engagement, motivation, and creativity in meetings and daily communication. Try Vimodi App.
How can you translate this knowledge to improve your own communications? Here are three tips:
Visualize data: Present numbers in charts instead of text. To explain that your company's market share growth in Asia is double the growth in Europe, even a simple line graph or pie/bar chart will make a greater impact than text.
Translate concepts to images: Identify a memorable image that easily translates into words and sounds for each point you are trying to communicate. Have a dialog with your audience or customer to bring a sense of sound into your presentation.
Personalize with a hands-on experience: Let your audience "touch" your presentation. When presenting on a tablet, for example, don't be afraid to hand it over and let your audience navigate your presentation with you.
The idea that we learn and remember more by seeing and doing has long been present in folk history. The Chinese philosopher Confucius is famously quoted as saying, "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
Confucius may not have been thinking of first kisses when he shared this wisdom, but the basic principles are the same. Images and interaction are the keys to better communication.
Photo*-Tatia Pilieva via inc.com, PLOS ONE Journal
At Vimodi, we are developing technology that helps users have a more engaging, responsive and effective visual discussions and dialogues. Vimodi enables visual mobile discussions for better engagement, motivation, and creativity in meetings and daily communication. Try Vimodi App.