Allan Paivio

Allan Paivio was a psychologist who developed the Dual Coding Theory, which suggests that people process and remember information better when it is represented both visually (images, diagrams) and verbally (words). His research shows that combining these two forms creates more effective learning and memory retention. For example, learning with pictures alongside text helps the brain encode information in two different ways, strengthening understanding and recall. Paivio’s work is influential in education, cognitive psychology, and developing teaching methods that leverage both visual and verbal cues to enhance learning.