Does Writing In Blue Pen Help You Remember Better Text

Jonathan Friesen - Writing Coach

There is not much evidence that there is a difference in memory retention between blue and black ink. Scientifically speaking, if you want to remember your notes, use either blue or black ink and highlight important points in yellow, just don 039 t overdue the highlighting because too much yellow can be an assault to the eyes and cause headaches. Another option for using yellow in notes is to take notes on yellow paper like a yellow legal pad. The act of writing helps you clarify your thoughts, remember things better, and reach your goals more surely. Here's a look at the science and psychology behind writing, and why the pen may be mightier than the keyboard. A couple of studies, though, substantiate why the physical act of writing really does boost learning and goal achievement.

Hoping to provide actual scientific proof on the efficacy of writing down and sharing goals to make up for an often quoted mythical harvard/yale study of goals , a psych professor at dominican university of california found that people who wrote down their goals, shared them with others, and maintained accountability for their goals were 33% more likely to achieve them, versus those who just formulated goals. One can argue that in this instance, typing would be equally effective see why writing works better than typing below for why writing still may be better. And a survey of note taking studies found several examples where taking notes helped students with recall and academic performance. If you're interested in the biology behind writing's effect on our achievements, though, here's a little background: writing stimulates a bunch of cells at the base of the brain called the reticular activating system ras . The ras acts as a filter for everything your brain needs to process, giving more importance to the stuff that you're actively focusing on at the moment something that the physical act of writing brings to the forefront.

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Author henriette anne klauser says that writing triggers the ras, which in turn sends a signal to the cerebral cortex: ‘wake up! pay attention! don't miss this detail!' once you write down a goal, your brain will be working overtime to see you get it, and will alert you to the signs and signals that … were there all along. There may also be a scientific basis for the pen's superiority over the keyboard when it comes to writing development and cognitive functions. Virginia berniger, who studies reading and writing systems and their relationship to learning processes, found that children's writing ability was consistently better they wrote more, faster, and more complete sentences when they used a pen rather than a keyboard these are, of course, subjects without a penchant for using either tool.

We also previously covered the wsj article that connected handwriting and cognitive abilities in one of the studies cited, adults learned new symbols and graphic shapes better when they reproduced them with pen and paper instead of typing them. Fountain pens float effortlessly over the paper when everything is working as it should. And, they may put out too much ink, even in the form of a sudden blob of ink that runs over a document and onto clothing.

These problems are not inherent to all fountain pens, but occur in pens needing a little tender care to keep them in sound working condition. The pen is reminiscent of a parker duofold from the late 1920 39 s and early 1930 39 s. A couple of instructables advise soaking the nib and feeder the section in cool water for a day or so to remove old dried ink from the ink flow path or capillary system. Actually, a good flushing of the capillary system like this is advised every month. Another good practice is to add a little moisture to ink held in the nib and feeder that may be partially evaporated after a few days of non use.

Get a drop of water on your fingertip and touch it to the slit between the nib 39 s tines. If the pen has been sitting unused for more than a few days, add two or three drops of water, let it soak in. If you do not write with the pen immediately, the water can mix with the ink under the nib more thoroughly. In more severe cases, as when ink has been left in a pen during several weeks of non use, cup your hand under a faucet and fill it with water. If the writing is light in color, touch a facial tissue to the nib and feeder a few times to remove excess water or watery ink. If you are not going to use a pen for a while, empty the ink from it and flush the pen with water until no discoloration from ink appears. They sometimes react with each other and form chunky, gelatinous material that clogs the ink passageways.

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