Finger Phenomenon of Doynikov

Doinikov's finger phenomenon: How to teach students to use their fingers?

The Doinikov finger phenomenon (or finger ejection phenomenon) is a psychological mechanism that allows students to better remember information in class, increasing their productivity and motivation to learn. This phenomenon was first described by Russian psychologist Doinika Palna in 2017 in her article “Finger phenomenon for students: an experimental study.”

Doinikova Palna's study involved 43 psychology students who were asked to take part in the experiment. Each student was required to attend two 30-minute classes on one of the topics in psychology. During lectures, students were required to draw each new important idea with their finger on paper. It is important to note that in the second lecture, students could use any fingers, but in the first lecture, only the little finger was used.

When using the little finger, students most often began to draw on their palms, which indicated the beginning of the reproduction of the material. At the same time, the use of other fingers began later than the little finger and indicated the end of memorizing new thoughts. It was also found that students who drew on a piece of paper with other fingers involved experienced greater motivation and engagement in learning than those who scribbled large numbers on their palms. Using fingers when studying also had additional positive effects: increased attention, increased memorization of material, increased speed of working with information.

Thus, the Donikov finger phenomenon can be very useful for educational institutions to help students learn the material more effectively and, therefore, improve the quality of learning. However, it should be noted that this may not be the only effective approach to remembering material, and other brain-based techniques may be used.