The Von Restorff Effect
The ability to remember more of the elements that stand out from the rest is known as the von Restorff effect, or insulating effect, and was discovered in 1933 by Hedwig Von Restorff. This researcher, through his studies, determined that he is more likely to remember the elements that stand out because of their color or their shape over others.
At the time, it was thought that this phenomenon was due to a peculiarity in the capacity for attention. However, Von Restorff’s results underwent several interpretations, until it was concluded that this effect was not only due to variations in attention, but that memory also encodes information in different ways.
The effect of Von Restorff in everyday life
The Von Restorff effect can be used in our daily lives as usual. A clear example is when we prepare the shopping list and, in it, we highlight with a text marker some product that is most needed. This way, we make sure to focus our attention on that element of the list and reduce the chances of forgetting it.
Another example arises in the academic sphere, when we underline certain ideas in the notes to highlight their importance. This will help us to memorize them better or find them more easily when we do a cursory reading.
As we can see, the Von Restorff effect can be used as a tool to help with our routine, both for the most everyday tasks and for those that are associated with our workplace. In fact, it can be used for the organization of a business, especially for drawing up project plans or determining tasks to be performed.
Von Restorff’s Effect on Advertising
The implications of the von Restorff effect for marketing and advertising are immense. In this sense, many companies point out certain details to take into account if they want a product to stand out and be memorable. Changes in size, color and space are some of the most effective techniques. Likewise, the greater the degree to which an object differs from the rest, the more likely it is to be remembered.
This is how some of the keys to neuromarketing were developed, according to which advertising uses subtle techniques to attract the attention of customers. In this way, they try to appeal to a more primitive sense in each type of customer and show small details in their product that distinguish them from the rest.
Using the Von Restorff effect in a presentation
One of the times you can get the most out of the Von Restorff effect is during a presentation, whether in an academic or professional setting. Anything that gets away from the commonplace usually gives the presentation a memorable touch that stands out from the rest. There are many ways to get away from the paths already used, including the use of video sequences and other multimedia elements. With them, you can help promote not only the memory of what was presented, but of the presenter as well.
For example, when videos and film clips are integrated into a presentation, they can illustrate a process with infinitely greater clarity than a photograph or even an animation. The video sequences must be brief and integrate with the plot of the story, that is, in the sequence of the presentation. Otherwise, the video would end up engulfing the audience’s attention and taking it away from the speaker. Therefore, the use of short video sequences, spaced throughout the presentation, guarantees the maintenance of the audience’s attention.
With these keys, we can make the chances of success of our presentation greatly increased. The same would happen in an academic context, since our presentation could draw the attention of those who evaluate us, also allowing us to highlight the ideas that we consider most important and making our work more concrete and more organized.
In short, the Von Restorff effect is a useful tool in all areas of our lives and allows us to get more out of our memory and public speaking ability.
