By: Jason Ulanet, MSCP
Mnemonic devices can be handy when
there is something new to learn. They reorient us as we get overwhelmed by
the difficult task of learning and applying new concepts. Anyone who’s had to
learn to read music has probably used the Every-Good-Boy-Deserves-Fudge schema,
which tells you which notes go on which lines of sheet music. Countless
spelling errors have been avoided simply by repeating this familiar rhyme: “I
before ‘e’, except after ‘c’”. Acronyms frequently are relied upon to remember
sets of rules, concepts, or just long, clumsy names for laws (see: Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act = HIPAA).
When I work with couples or
families who are trying to learn how to improve their communication patterns, I
use this rhyme as a mnemonic device: Investigation, Not Accusation!
