Doodle Your Way to a Better Memory?

Are you a doodler? Have you ever been told that your mindless doodling is a sign of absent-mindedness or daydreaming? Recent research suggests that this may not, in fact, be true, but that doodling may actually aid our memory recall.

In a study published on February 27, researchers found that, on average, people who doodled while listening to recitations of mundane information had an average 29 percent better memory recall of the information given than participants who actively attempted to remember the information.

In the study, 40 participants, ages 18-55, were told to listen to a listing of eight names and locations of people who were attending a party. Then 20 were instructed to randomly shade in shapes on a piece of paper while listening to the information being read, while the other half of the participants were asked to write down the information as they heard.

The participants who doodled on average recalled nearly all of the information (7.5 of 8) unaided, while those who had actively attempted to listen to and memorize the information recalled less than six of the names and places (5.9 of 8). (Before the experiment took place, participants were not told they were participating in a memory recall exercise.)

Jackie Andrade, a professor in the School of Psychology and the University of Plymouth, states that doodling may "offset the effects of selective [memory] blockade." In this way, mindless, "productive doodling" may actually keep us from daydreaming, instead focusing us on the task at hand (listening to a boring lecture, meeting or speech, etc.).

"Productive doodling" is the type most people have engaged in at some point or another during their lives - scribbling random geometric shapes or curlicues, errant symbols, signing our names, and so on. Our participating in such mindless tasks helps us to listen better and allows our brain to better process information.

Doodling may easily become daydreaming, however, especially when we cease our random scribbling and begin creating more complicated art or writing longer notes. Because theses activities are more involved, we become focused on our notes instead of what we should be listening to. Productive doodling is simple scribbling, which is why most people tend to doodle without realizing it.

Most doodles don't have any archetypal symbolism, although some possibly have personal significance. We may scribble our names, memorized phone numbers, or shapes that we feel are pleasing to the eye or that have symbolic meaning for us.

The study was published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, released on February 27^th.

Sources:

"Doodling primes a wandering mind, study says." CNN.com. 27 February 2009. 3 March 2009 http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/27/doodle.research/.

"Doodling keeps your mind sharp, study says." Kirkey, Sharon. Canada.com. 27 February 2009. 3 March 2009 http://www.canada.com/life/Doodling+keeps+your+mind+sharp+study+reveals/1336250/story.html.

"Take Note: Doodling can help memory." U.S. News and World Report. 27 February 2009. 3 March 2009
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