The meaning of the 'Doorway Effect'

We have all experienced, at one point in our life, the so-called 'Doorway Effect': the fact of intending to do something, but immediately after having started, we forget what we were about to do.

Our attention has the tendency to shift from one thing to another according to our ambitions, plans, strategies. It is at this exact point that the 'Doorway Effect' occurs.

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Why does walking through doorways make us forget?

bbc.com

TOPICS IN THIS IDEA

Problem Solving

Never have the embarrassment of forgetting a name again

A reader, Dan, asks "Why do we forget people's names when we first meet them? I can remember all kinds of other details about a person but completely forget their name. Even after a lengthy, in-depth conversation. It's really embarrassing." Fortunately the answer involves learning something fundamental about the nature of memory.

bbc.com

The associative memory

We all experience, from time to time, issues with our memory. Involuntarily, we end up forgetting things, such as people's names, after having met for the first time.

One trait that we...

Tips to remember people's names

Whenever you find yourself in the difficulty of not remembering somebody's name, try some useful tips such as repeating the name several times, connecting the new name to something you already know or linking it to something else you have just found out about the person. Just bear in mind that associations work wonders.

Max Johnston

@maxjston

Ways To Organize Your Life Now

Life can be so hectic these days, so hectic that everything feels messy and it's like everything's happening all at once. But that's just not the case. It's time we all admit that we need help in organizing our lives. It's going to be a chore to do all this, but staying organized makes life easier in the long run.

keepinspiring.me

Don’t Rely On Your Memory

If you want to remember things, don't rely on your memory. Put it in writing or in a digital notebook.

Make Back-Ups Of Everything

Make sure to back up your computer files.
Make duplicates for your car and home keys.
Scan your IDs, passports and bank details, and put it all in a secured folder on your computer.

Keep all your financial records, birth certificates, land titles and insurance in one folder, preferably in a safe.

Have a designated place for everything

Sort out your clothes, cleaning materials and everything else and keep them in labeled containers or closets at home.
Organize your work space well so that your every move is conserved, knowing exactly where everything is.

Doing this will take time, but it is easier to find what you need.

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Frank Morgan

@frankiem

Yes, Walking Through A Doorway Really Does Make You Forget

forbes.com

The doorway effect

Walking through a doorway can make you forget. You'll walk from one room to another with a clear idea of whatever you need to do, but when you get there, you can't reme...

Memory dividers

Researchers found that imagining walking through a doorway can also interfere with your memory. Worse still, phrases that insert a temporal boundary between events have the same sort of mental divider as a doorway. For example, reading a sentence that starts with "A few hours later..."

This tells us that our brains operate with certain mechanical dynamics. When you can't remember why you walked through a doorway, don't be alarmed. Your brain simply thought the doorway meant you needed a memory divider.

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