Final answer:
The best method of encoding based on the meaning of the words is semantic encoding. It enables deeper processing by connecting new information with existing knowledge, and it's supported by research from William Bousfield and Fergus Craik and Endel Tulving. Semantic encoding is also enhanced by the self-reference effect, making personally relevant information more memorable.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best method of encoding based on the meaning of the words is semantic encoding. Semantic encoding allows for a deeper level of processing because it involves connecting the new information with existing knowledge and meanings. An experiment by William Bousfield (1935) demonstrated that when participants memorized words that were divided into categories of meaning, they recalled them in categories, indicating a focus on the meanings of the words. Additionally, Fergus Craik and Endel Tulving's experiments further supported the efficacy of semantic encoding over visual or acoustic encoding in memory recall tasks.
When it comes to encoding information semantically, it is often enhanced by the self-reference effect, which states that people remember information better if it is personally relevant to them. This means that by encoding information in a way that connects with your own experiences, your memory for that information will likely improve.
Other forms of encoding include visual encoding, which is the encoding of images, and acoustic encoding, which is the encoding of sounds, such as through songs or rhymes. While these methods can be effective, especially for concrete and high-imagery words or for acoustic cues in learning, they do not engage the deeper processing capabilities of the brain as semantic encoding does.