The Von Restorff Effect
The possibility of remembering those elements that stand out from the average is known as the Von Restorff effect or isolation effect and was discovered in 1933 by Hedwing Von Restorff. This researcher, through his studies, determined that it is more likely to remember the elements that stand out for their color or shape above others.
At the time, it was thought that this phenomenon was due to a peculiarity in the attention span. However, Von Restorff’s discoveries went through various interpretations, until concluding that this effect was not only due to variations in attention but also to memory encoding information in a different way.
The effect of Von Restorff in everyday life
The effect of Von Restorff can be used in our day to day on a regular basis. A clear example is when we prepare the shopping list and, in it, we mark with a marker some product of greatest need. In this way, we make sure to focus our attention on that item on the list and reduce the chances of forgetting it.
Another example occurs in the academic field, when we underline certain ideas in the notes to highlight their importance. This will help us to memorize them better or to find them more easily when we do a superficial reading.
As we can see, the effect of Von Restorff can be used as a help tool in our routine, both for the most everyday tasks and those that are related to the work environment. In fact, it can be used for the organization of a company, especially to develop project plans or determine tasks to be carried out.
The effect of Von Restorff on advertising
The implications of the von Restorff effect for marketing and advertising are immense. In this sense, many companies point to certain details to take into account if you want a product to stand out and be memorable. Changes in size, color, and space are some of the most effective techniques. In the same way, 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 have been 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 for each type of customer and to show small details in their product that distinguish it from the rest.
Using the Von Restorff effect in a presentation
One of the times when you can get the most out of the effect of Von Restorff is during a presentation, whether in an academic or professional setting. Anything out of the ordinary usually gives a presentation a memorable touch that sets it apart from the rest. There are many resources to get away from the beaten track, among which the use of video sequences and other multimedia elements stand out. With them, you can help promote not only the memory of what was presented, but also the presenter.
For example, when videos and clips from a film are integrated into a presentation, they can illustrate a process with clarity that is infinitely better than a photograph or even an animation. Video sequences should be short and fit into the plot of the story, that is, into the thread of the presentation. Otherwise, the video would end up engulfing the audience’s attention, taking it away from the speaker. Therefore, the use of short video sequences spaced throughout the presentation ensures that the audience’s attention is maintained.
With these keys we can achieve that the chances of success of our presentation are greatly increased. The same would happen in the academic field, since our presentation could attract 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 life, and allows us to get more out of our memory and our speaking skills.
