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Updated September 26, 2022
Think you’re bad at remembering names? Well, it turns out you’re probably worse at remembering faces — at least, according to research from the University of York.
Our ability to remember names better than faces may seem counterintuitive, but it makes sense if you think about it. After all, faces look slightly different every time you see them, whether due to a different hairstyle or a change in lighting, while names generally remain the same. In fact, you probably walk past many of the same faces during your daily commute to the office or weekly grocery trip without even realizing it. And we don’t usually realize we’ve forgotten a name until we’ve recognized a face.
Thankfully, you can improve your ability to remember both faces and names by using a simple strategy every time you meet someone new.
The strategy? Fixate on a facial feature that stands out to you, like a large nose, thick eyebrows or pale blue eyes. Research from McMaster University in Canada reveals that fixating on a facial feature when you encounter a new face can help you recognize that face when you see it again.
And chances are good you’ll get better at remembering names at the same time. By using simple methods to improve visual memory, you can make significant improvements in your ability to recall a name after you see the person’s face, says psychiatrist Gary Small, director of the UCLA Longevity Center and author of The Memory Bible.
Plus, using visual learning strategies is more effective for memory than hearing the same information, according to research from the University of Iowa.
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