The "Red Stapler": How to Be Memorable & Believable

January 1
13 mins

Episode Description

You might remember the red Swingline stapler from the movie Office Space. All these years later. You can apply that principle to your episodes to stop sounding like every other show.

This episode explores Dual Coding Theory and Concreteness Fading. This science explains why abstract phrases like "an efficient workflow" are forgettable while concrete details like "fast editing with Stream Deck" stick in the brain better.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Dual Coding Theory: Why your brain processes images and text separately and how to trigger both.
  2. Concreteness Fading: Why memory fades over time and how concrete nouns act as "handles" for the brain.
  3. The Problem with Jargon: Why "safe" business words and AI make you sound kinda generic
  4. The "Zoom In" Drill: A simple editing exercise to turn more of your words and phrases into specifics.

RESOURCES:

Dual Coding Studies:

  1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312316469_Concrete_vs_Abstract_words_-_What_do_you_Recall_Better_A_Study_on_Dual_Coding_Theory
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301008223001120
  3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/dual-coding-theory (multiple studies)

More information about dual coding

  1. https://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/dual-coding/
  2. https://plato.stanford.edu/archIves/sum2020/entries/mental-imagery/theories-memory.html

Concreteness fading

  1. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2018/2/1-1 (general)
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475221000839

Random word (suggestion) generators

There are many! Here are two options

  1. https://www.impromuse.com/
  2. https://www.andismith.com/games/improv-suggestions/

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About and Support

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Written, edited, and hosted by Jen deHaan.

Contact Jen at https://jendehaan.com

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About Jen

Host: Jen deHaan has a background of almost 30 years in tech, education, & instructional design and 10 years in improv and performance.

Jen's website: https://jendehaan.com

Made and produced by Jen deHaan in British Columbia, Canada.

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