Image superiority effect: what is it and how does it affect us?

This psychological phenomenon helps us learn and remember more effectively.

Everyone knows that a picture is worth a thousand words, and it is also much better remembered. This, in fact, is not something new, since the Roman philosopher Cicero himself noticed how important images were in memory.

The image superiority effect comes to give name to this fact, and we are going to explain it in more detail below.

Image superiority effect: what is it?

The image superiority effect is a phenomenon that refers to the way in which images are more easily remembered than words or any data expressed only orally or in writing..

The idea behind this phenomenon is that human memory is extremely sensitive to symbols or figures, which are more similar to what they are trying to represent compared to words. What is learned through images remains much longer in the memory compared to what is learned orally or in writing.

According to John Medina, only 10% of what we read in a text will end up being remembered after about 3 days.. On the other hand, if that information is presented in the form of an image or even a text but exemplified by a photograph, the percentage of recall rises to 65%.

It must be said that the superiority of the image does not come by itself. In order to be able to remember the image and the information it presents, it is necessary that the concept it tries to represent is concrete.

Theories that explain this

The theoretical foundation behind the image superiority effect is Allan Paivio's dual coding theory. According to Paivio, pictures have certain advantages over images since the pictorial is more easily encoded in memory and can be retrieved in the form of a symbolic representation. In contrast, in the case of words this is not so simple, since it is more difficult to store them on their own and, subsequently, to retrieve them.

Within the dual encoding theory, memory exists both verbally and through images. That is, we can think and remember by saying sentences to ourselves or by using images of those memories. Concrete concepts are remembered through images and can also be stored in the form of words and phrases. In contrast, abstract concepts are stored in the form of words..

Another of the explanations that have been tried to explain why it is easier to remember images than words is the degree of familiarity of the object represented in the form of an image compared to doing so in the form of words.

That is to say, every day we see objects of all kinds, so our minds are more accustomed to seeing all kinds of objects. our mind is more accustomed to seeing objects for what they are rather than for how they are represented in written form.. It is more natural for our brain to see an apple and remember it as such than not to remember the word 'apple' or a detailed description of this fruit.

An image can be a pictogram or an ideogram, that is, iconic representations of an object or idea, which are, in essence, a schematic but reliable form of what they are trying to represent. Going back to the previous example, seeing a picture of an apple is easier to remember than having seen the word 'apple', basically because it represents in a very real way what an apple is.

The relationship between pictograms and the image superiority effect can be seen in safety signs. can be seen in airport security signs.. To make sure that travelers do not commit infractions and that they remember the rules, it is normal for signs containing images related to what is forbidden to do to be placed on the walls or doors of the place.

For example, the image of a cigarette with the 'forbidden' symbol, accompanied underneath by the phrase 'no smoking' is something that is much easier to remember and it is clearer what it means than not if you put the phrase by itself. Another, more abstract, case is the 'do not carry hazardous material' rule in the form of a bomb or harmful device. In this way, an idea that is usually difficult to represent on paper is represented in a more concrete way.

Applications of this useful effect

As we have seen from the definition of this effect, remembering better images than non-text without pictorial accompaniment can have its advantages in many aspects, which have been tested since time immemorial..

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, Cicero was aware that images were much easier to remember than text or words without being visually exemplified. In other words, this Roman author was already aware of the educational benefits that could be derived from taking this particular effect into account.

In the following we will see three areas of application of the image superiority effect.

1. Education and language learning

In most educational texts, especially those oriented to compulsory education, books include images, more or less related to what is being explained in the classroom, books include images, more or less related to what is being explained in the classroom.. This allows, as we mentioned at the beginning of the article, to increase the recall of the contents of the page.

In addition, the use of images allows ideas that, although not abstract, are somewhat complex, such as photosynthesis, the Krebs cycle or the French revolution, to be more easily assimilated.

But there is no doubt that this effect is of great importance in language learning, especially when it comes to learning new vocabulary..

Many language courses make the mistake of trying to get students to memorize lists of words in the language they are learning while having the translation into their native language next to them.

This, in addition to being very cumbersome, means that very few of these words are remembered in the long run. These words are learned out of context, which makes them even more difficult to remember. This is why many other language courses, which do take into account the image superiority effect, choose not to put the translation of the word next to the new word, but a picture of what it means.

In this way the learner will visually associate the new word with its meaningThis way the student will visually associate the new word with its meaning, allowing him/her to remember it better and avoid confusing some words with others.

Marketing and advertising 2.

In the field of advertising and marketing, images are the most important element when it comes to advertising products and services, given that it is what the consumer will remember best.

This becomes especially useful when the message you are trying to give is in the form of other images. For example, when selling a shampoo that is said to rejuvenate the hair, the ideal would be that, while telling the properties of the cosmetic, images of healthy hair, ingredients it contains, users of the product with a satisfied face... are shown.

The visual component of the advertisement, whether it is a TV commercial or one that can be found in a magazine, in the subway or wherever, is always more memorable than the message in text or oral form that accompanies it.

A well-known case of a TV ad that takes advantage of this effect is that of a famous hazelnut and chocolate cream that, while singing the ingredients it contains, shows those same ingredients to the viewer.

In this way, not only will you remember the song associated with the product, but you will also remember the ingredients it contains, and you will take them into account when you go to the supermarket and decide to buy that product.