Tips to improve your game through the science of semantic memory

Puzzle fans are going crazy over Connections, the newest word game. new york times Following the success of Wordle, it launched in June 2023. The premise of the Connections game is deceptively simple. From a grid of 16 words, find four groups of four that each have something in common. So why does this game cause so much joy and frustration among players?

To solve connection puzzles, players must utilize various aspects of their word knowledge, including word meaning, grammar (such as nouns and verbs), and word spelling and pronunciation. This information is stored in what cognitive scientists call semantic memory. Our knowledge of words reflects different types of information and is structured through associations formed through experience.

Games like Connections require players to flexibly access information in their semantic memory in order to find new or distant associations between words. This includes creative thinking. More creative people structure their semantic memory in ways that aid their ability to recognize new connections.

Knowing how to obtain word information can help Connections players avoid red herrings in daily puzzles. Let’s examine some of the common types of solutions in games and how they relate to storing and retrieving information in semantic memory.

synonym

Easier puzzles (yellow and green) often require players to find words that have the same meaning. For example, within a group, the words “depart”, “leave”, “split”, and “go” are synonyms for “exit” (Solution for March 28, 2024). This type of association can be developed through language experience. We see and hear thousands of words every day, and over time we find that certain words tend to appear together or in similar contexts.

Cognitive scientists have quantified this similarity using learning algorithms on large datasets of written and spoken natural language. These algorithms can predict human performance on tests of language processing such as semantic priming. In this test, humans recognize words faster when they are preceded by closely related words (such as recognizing “butter” when preceded by “bread”).

Semantic priming can help you quickly recognize related concepts, but it can also distract you from solving puzzles. For example, the March 23, 2024 puzzle included the words credit, discover, and visa. Discover and Visa are types of credit cards, so these words are related, but the game solution categorized these words into different groups and required players to access different meanings. Players must be careful not to get distracted by semantic primes that do not lead to solving the puzzle.

Share function

Shared features are another way the mind organizes knowledge. This is because people can make decisions about a word faster if they first briefly see another word that shares similar characteristics. People also recognize unique features of things more quickly than less distinctive features. For example, jumping is a very distinctive feature of kangaroos and rabbits, but having legs is not.

Words in games are often grouped together based on common characteristics or attributes. For example, players in the group: Anise, Fennel, Licorice, and Tarragon had to identify the common characteristic of “similar flavour” (Resolution March 13, 2024).

When determining whether a word shares an in-game characteristic, players may need to think beyond the first distinguishing or defining feature that comes to mind. Solutions may include features that are less characteristic of a particular word, which makes this type of group more difficult to solve.

For example, the March 28 puzzle included the words ATM, casino, schedule, and spatula in the “Things with slots” category. All of these items can have slots, but slots are not necessarily a feature of spatulas. Fans of the game have expressed dissatisfaction when solutions include these not-so-obvious features.

Phrases containing multiple words

The more difficult puzzles (blue and purple) often require players to realize that four words can form a phrase when combined with another word. For example, players in the groups “Charlie”, “Crazy”, “Dark”, and “Gift” had to understand that each word can be combined with the word “horse” to create phrases and idioms.

These puzzles are more difficult because while an idiom like “gift horse” can be retrieved directly from semantic memory, it may be more difficult to retrieve the meaning using the individual words that make up the idiom. There is a tendency to Research has shown that common phrases and idioms become unique entries in our memory, and their meaning is greater than simply the sum of their parts.

Puzzles about synonyms and common features can be solved by focusing on the meaning of the word presented. However, this strategy can cause difficulties when trying to solve puzzles that involve the creation of phrases or idioms, or when you need to identify related words hidden among the words presented. there is.

Players stuck on a blue or purple puzzle may want to focus less on the meaning of the word being presented and more on thinking about how to spell the word and what words or letters they can add to form a new meaning. Sho.

Word games like Connections reflect the structure of our semantic memory. This structure can help you find solutions, but it can also hinder your ability to make more distant or novel connections that the game requires. By considering the science behind how we connect words in our heads, players can adapt their strategies to make easy or difficult connections.