Final answer:
The method of loci encourages elaborative rehearsal by linking new information to older memories along a familiar route, enhancing the ability to transfer this information into long-term memory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The method of loci, which connects new information to older memories, particularly locations along a familiar route, encourages elaborative rehearsal. Elaborative rehearsal involves linking new information to existing knowledge that is already stored in your memory. This method of memory enhancement is particularly powerful because it ties new knowledge to the context of existing memories, making it more meaningful and thus easier to recall later. For example, if you wish to remember a list of grocery items, you could visualize each item in a specific location in your home that you pass through frequently, thereby connecting the new list to a well-known sequence of locations, which is a form of older memories. In essence, this strategy taps into your semantic network and can capitalize on the concept of spreading activation. By anchoring new information to familiar visual cues, the chances of moving that information from short-term to long-term memory increase significantly.