Wallpaper Effect

Have you ever heard of the "wallpaper effect"? Vera F. Birkenbihl used this metaphor when she recommended creating as many situations as possible during learning and exam preparation that closely resemble the future stressful situation. For example, you should wear the same clothes, the same jewelry, and the same watch while studying. Envision the examination room and any potential audience while learning. If you drank coffee while studying, you should also drink coffee before the exam. You can artificially create another small trick: Take a pleasant perfume, eau de toilette, or essential oil and put a little on your hand, preferably in the hollow between your thumb and forefinger. Inhale it repeatedly while studying. Clearly presented in a KAWA.

What do KAWA and KAGA actually mean?

KAWA, according to Birkenbihl, is an acronym and stands for: "Kreative Ausbeute von Wort-Assoziationen" (Creative Yield from Word Associations). But KAWA is easier to remember. Hence the name. KAWAs can be made on any topic that interests you.

How does a KAWA work, and why is this technique so effective?

First, write the topic in the center in large letters. By the way, I always use the paper horizontally for this. In our mind map template pad, KAWAs are drawn on the left white page. Now, let your thoughts wander and consider what comes to mind about the term and what is important to write down. The difficulty is that what you write down must begin with one of the letters in the center. The smaller the term, the fewer letters you have available, and the more you have to think. Here, it is the lack of letters that makes you think more deeply about a topic than an ABC list would. The goal should be to find a suitable term for each letter. Suppose you want to create a KAWA about your best friend Eva; you only have three letters available. However, you can use them multiple times. Perhaps E stands for elegant, successful, eloquent; for V, you find her trustworthy, quirky, and in love; and for A, you have associated silly and single. If your best friend had been named Hannelore, you would, of course, have had more letters available. I often take notes in KAWA format during meetings. It keeps me alert, no matter how unimportant or boring a meeting is. And you catch everything. Below are some of my KAWAs.