Bellezza, F. S. (1986). A mnemonic based on arranging words on visual patterns. Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(3), 217-224.

Evidence is presented to demonstrate that arranging word lists on distinctive visual patterns results in better recall performance than does presenting the same word lists on a pattern that is always the same. The results of three experiments using college-age subjects are reported. In Experiment 1, lists of concrete nouns placed on different visual patterns were recalled better than those lists placed on the same pattern. This was true immediately after learning and 1 week later. In Experiment 2, abstract terms taken from an introductory textbook in psychology were arranged on the same or on different drawings. When placed on the different drawings, the words were better learned. Also, what was learned was better retained in memory for 1 week. Finally, in Experiment 3, both visual-pattern mnemonic aids and story mnemonic aids were provided to subjects for different lists. The story mnemonic was found to be superior. Possible reasons why the spatial-arrangement mnemonic and story mnemonic are effective are discussed. One important factor seems to be the discriminability among the representations of the word lists in memory. By placing words on distinctive visual patterns, this discriminability can be increased, and recall performance can be enhanced.