self-referential encoding
nounUK /ˌsɛlf rɛfəˈrɛnʃəl ɪnˈkəʊdɪŋ/
US /ˌsɛlf rɛfəˈrɛnʃəl ɪnˈkoʊdɪŋ/
A way of remembering something by thinking about how it connects to you.
She used self-referential encoding to remember the new words by linking each one to a story about her own life.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In computing, a data format that describes or contains information about itself.
The file used self-referential encoding so the program could read its own structure.
3. In linguistics, a phrase or sentence that refers to its own wording or structure.
The sentence 'this sentence has five words' is an example of self-referential encoding.
4. A method of tagging information with labels that point back to the same system.
The database relied on self-referential encoding to link each record to its own history.