Pelmanism

/ ˈpɛlməˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. a system of training to improve the memory
2. Also calledpairsesp USconcentration often not capital a memory card game in which a pack of cards is spread out face down and players try to turn up pairs with the same number

Word History and Origins

Origin of Pelmanism¹

named after the Pelman Institute, founded in London in 1898

Example Sentences

Playing the game of Pelmanism—where players are asked to remember the positions of particular cards in a pack spread out facedown—you can be surprised by how quickly you are able to remember where a given card is.

From Literature

An advert for Pelmanism, a brain-training technique that became popular in the early twentieth century.

From Nature

“New Minds for Old in 12 Weeks!” proclaimed adverts for Pelmanism, a brain-training technique that swept the United Kingdom in the early part of the twentieth century.

From Nature

Pelmanism was still being promoted as late as the 1960s, but has since sunk into obscurity, becoming merely a curious chapter in the history of psychology.

From Nature

And, as with Pelmanism, a lucrative industry has grown up around the idea that cognitive performance can be enhanced by training.

From Nature