Mental Maps: What Are They For and How Do They Do It?

The mental maps Are a very effective way to get information inside and outside the brain as they help make partnerships with ease.

In addition, they are a creative and logical means for decision-making, because they allow to"trace"the ideas and generate some new ones. They became popular thanks to Tony Buzan . This author used a two-dimensional structure that made them more compact, instead of the conventional list format used to take notes.

All mental maps have some things in common such as a natural organic structure radiating from the center, and the use of lines, symbols, words, colors and images that are as friendly as possible, so that the brain can retain Information more easily.

A simple way to understand a mind map, is to compare it to the map of a city. The center of the city represents the main idea, while the main roads of the center represent the key thoughts in its cognitive process.

Secondary roads or branches represent secondary thoughts, and so on, special images or shapes may represent ideas of special relevance.

Mind maps can be used for almost any task of thinking or learning, from studying an object (such as a new language) to planning a career or even building better habits.

Characteristics of mental maps

• The main idea, is adjusted in a matter or crystallized in a central image.
• The main themes are radiated from the image of the center as"branches".
• These branches comprise a key image or a key word drawn or printed on its associated line.
• Minor issues are represented as branches of the corresponding group.
• The branches form a structure that starts from a point of origin or node.
• It is a graphical tool that can incorporate words, images, numbers and colors, so it can be more enjoyable and memorable to create and revise. The combination of words and images is six times better to remember information than words alone.
• Mind maps link group concepts through natural associations. This helps generate more ideas and find deeper meaning on a topic.

Advantages of Mind Mapping

• A mental map can give an overview of a very broad subject and at the same time be the synthesis of large amounts of information.
• It is also a very intuitive way to organize thoughts, since mind maps mimic the way our brains think, bouncing ideas from one to the other, rather than thinking linearly.
• You can generate ideas very quickly with this technique and also encourage you to explore different creative ways.
• It allows to make summaries of books, which facilitates the study of some specific subject and structure it for a more effective compression.
• It works for the management of projects at the organizational level, based on budget, resources, scope, personnel and deadline.
• It highlights the most important ideas of a text, which is fundamental when studying, since it allows to discern between relevant and secondary information.
• It evaluates the options, which can encourage in the people the decision making and the setting of objectives, and then fulfill them.
• It works as a time planner, because it allows you to organize a large number of ideas, situations or commitments, so that none is excluded.
• It allows to tell a story in a dynamic, didactic and original way, so that those for whom it is heard, have a better way of understanding it.
• It improves productivity, as it enhances the organization of time / space.

Uses of mental maps (what they are for)

• Brainstorming, both in individual and group activities.
• Summary of information and note taking.
• Consolidation of information from different sources of research.
• Deepening in complex problems.
• The presentation of the information in a format that shows the general structure of its object.
• Study and memorize information.
• Problem solving.
• Activation of creativity.
• Improved ability to view larger image.
• It allows to detail the information.
• Unlock hidden understandings within pieces of information.
• Help unlock unexpected creative ideas.
• Save time.
• It makes learning fun.
• Clarifies goals.
• Explain the action plans.
• Clarify ideas.
• Decipher habitual patterns of thinking.
• Take notes at work meetings.

How to make a mental map

1- Create a central idea

To develop a mind map, you have to start with a central idea. This represents the subject to be investigated or the object of study.

This should be in the center of the page and should include an image that represents the theme. This calls attention and causes associations, since the brain responds better to the visual stimuli.

It is key to take the time to customize the central idea, whether designed by hand or on the computer, as it is what will strengthen the connection you have with the contents of the mental map.

2- Brainstorm on the subject

Brainstorm the subject before beginning to draw, collecting all the information, which is not stored in a place. This can be used, for example, notes of a conference or meeting.

This can be done individually or in groups. It is simply to write everything that you can imagine and is related to the subject. Key words or phrases should be used instead of sentences or paragraphs.

Information should not be organized at that time. Just get the ideas out and put them in a mess. When there is an exchange of ideas, ask how the topic relates to what is already known and what is different about it.

3- Add the branches to the map

The main branches are those derived from the central image and provide the key themes. With this, you can explore each main theme or branch in greater depth by adding secondary branches.

The beauty of a mind map is that you can continually add new branches, meaning you are not restricted to just a few options. Likewise, the structure of the mental map will come naturally as more ideas are added and the brain freely draws new associations of different concepts.

4- Enter keywords

When a new branch is added to the structure of the mind map, a key idea must be included. Using keywords triggers a greater number of associations compared to using multiple words or phrases.

One word per branch also works well to fragment information on core issues and non-core issues. The use of keywords triggers connections in the brain and allows to remember a greater amount of information.

Farrand, Hussain and Hennessy (2002) supported this, after discovering that medical students who adopted mental maps experienced a 10% increase in their long-term memory.

5- Create a color code for the branches

In mind maps, the whole brain stimulates thought, because it brings together a wide range of cortical abilities of numerical, creative and spatial logic.

Overlapping these skills makes the brain more synergistic and maintains an optimal level of work.

Having these cortical skills isolated from one another does not help brain development. Therefore, the use of this system is a benefit. An example of thinking regarding the coding of mental maps is the use of color.

Color coding unites the visual part with logic and helps the brain create mental shortcuts. This code allows you to classify, culminate, analyze and identify information and connections that have not been previously discovered.

In addition, colored images are more attractive and enjoyable compared to flat and monochrome images.

6- Include pictures

Images have the power to convey more information than a word, phrase or even an essay. They are processed instantaneously by the brain and act as visual stimuli to recall information. Better still, images are a universal language that can overcome any language barrier.

Intrinsically, people are taught to process images from an early age. According to Margulies (1991), before children learn the language, they visualize the images in their minds, and link them to concepts. For this reason, mind maps maximize the powerful potential of images.

How to properly use a mind map

Once you have in mind the format that you want to use in the mental map, you have to develop your own adjustments, which allow you to delve deeper into the content. Here are some suggestions:

Use single words or simple phrases

In mental maps, short words and phrases must be used that are meaningful and allow the same message to be transmitted, with a meaning of greater power. When they carry an excess of words, they can have the opposite effect in the mind of who sees them.

Use of colors to differentiate ideas

This helps to separate the ideas when necessary. It also helps visualize the mental map that will allow you to retrieve them. Color can help you see the structure of matter.

Use symbols and images

Images can help to remember information more effectively than words, so if there is a symbol or image that can represent the content, it should be used.

The use of cross-links

The information contained in one part of a mental map may refer to another. Given the connection between all its parts, these links allow the reader to better capture the information. This is because it associates it with other elements already studied or that are of greater interest.

How Mental Maps Help Memory

• Mental mapping enhances association, imagination and creativity. They are the perfect tools to improve memory.
• Only contain keywords, this means that the information to remember is driven by short words with meaning and not endless paragraphs and content.
• They promote partnerships and connections. It is known that association is an important way to improve memory, this system not only promotes association, but also establish connections between ideas clearly on the page as a visual reminder.
• The use of color and images stimulate the imagination. This is the secret key to improving memory. The visually attractive nature of a mind map filled with colors, images, and symbols establishes a creative form of attention and concentration.

Mental maps and labor productivity

Mind mapping at work is useful for:

• Planning sales strategies.
• Planning the marketing strategies.
• Organization and management of projects.
• Organization and management of meetings.
• Preparation for the creation of networks.
• Preparation of interviews and interviews.
• Business Planning.
• Investigation and development.

Some more facts about mental maps

Mind maps convert a long list of monotonous information into a colorful, memorable, and highly organized diagram that works naturally according to the way the brain performs things.

A good mind map shows the relative importance of individual points, and the way in which the facts link to each other. This makes them very quick to review, because you can update the information in the mind by just taking a look.

In this way, mnemonic techniques can be effective in recalling a shape, structure or a certain content. In addition they can give the necessary clues to remember the information that they contain.

References

1. Mind Maps Team (2017). Note-taking that literally"maps"out your ideas. Retrieved from: mindmapping.com.
2. Passuello Luciano (2009). What if mind mapping? (And how to get started immediately). Litemind, exploring ways to use our minds efficiently. Retrieved from: litemind.com.
3. Mind Tools Team (2015). A powerful approach to note-taking. MindTools. Essential skills for an excellent career. Retrieved from: mindtools.com.
4. Thanh Pham. (2012). 10 ways to use mind maps over text notes. Asian Efficiency. Retrieved from: asianefficiency.com.