Final answer:
Remembering something related to the initial memory can indeed help recall the original item because our memories are interconnected within associative networks, making use of strategies such as mnemonic devices and elaborative rehearsal.
Step-by-step explanation:
Memory retrieval leverages different strategies that include recall, recognition, and relearning. Recall requires us to retrieve information without cues, while recognition involves identifying previously learned information when we encounter it again. Mnemonic devices enhance memory by organizing information for encoding. They work on the principle that recalling related, easier-to-remember items can stimulate the memory of more complex information. For example, acronyms or acrostics like "HOMES" for the Great Lakes or "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" for the order of operations in mathematics can trigger the targeted memories.
This is partly because memories are interconnected within our minds; triggering one memory can lead to the retrieval of another through a network of associations. This concept is at the core of elaborative rehearsal, a technique that involves deepening the understanding of new information by relating it to existing knowledge, thereby making it easier to remember. Thus, recalling related information is a valid, memory-enhancing strategy grounded in our understanding of how long-term memory functions.