🧠 Psychology Haiku Quiz

Latent Verse: A Meditative Psychology Flashcard Experience

(or as we call them... Mindkus? Psychus?)

Psychology is full of fascinating theories, curious behaviours, and those eerie moments where you think, “Wait… do I do that?”

This isn’t your typical quiz or flashcard app. It’s a quiet, poetic exploration of the human mind, one haiku at a time.

Each verse captures the essence of a psychological phenomenon, from cognitive biases to Freudian defences. Some are light. Some are dark. Some are way too relatable. All are rooted in real psychological theory.

Take a breath. Read the haiku. Take your time. Reflect.

Then click to reveal the concept behind it.

Perfect for study breaks, pre-exam pondering, or mindful procrastination.

No grades. No pressure. Just insight.

This game has no end, play as long as you want to.

Why we made this Meditative Flashcard Experience

Latent Verse was designed as a meditative, poetry-based learning tool aimed at psychology students. Blending haiku with psychological theory, the experience invites learners to reflect on poetic prompts and then reveal the underlying concept; encouraging curiosity, contemplation, and insight. While the format may feel unconventional, the design is grounded in well-established principles of learning and memory. Below are six key psychological mechanisms that support the educational effectiveness of this approach.

1. Levels of Processing Theory

According to Craik and Lockhart (1972), memory retention is significantly improved when learners engage in deep, semantic processing. Interpreting a haiku, a metaphorical, often emotionally rich form, requires reflection, inference, and concept-matching. This deeper engagement helps encode information more effectively than surface-level learning techniques such as rote memorization.

2. Retrieval Practice and the Testing Effect

Revealing the answer after first trying to interpret the haiku leverages the testing effect; the idea that actively retrieving information improves long-term retention better than simply reviewing it (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). Even when students guess incorrectly, the act of recall strengthens memory traces and supports concept mastery.

3. Dual Coding Theory

Paivio’s (1986) Dual Coding Theory suggests that information is more easily remembered when it is encoded using both verbal and visual modalities. The vivid imagery and metaphorical language in haikus allow students to build mental scenes around psychological concepts, linking abstract theory with concrete, emotionally charged visuals.

4. Affective Encoding

Emotional engagement is a powerful memory enhancer. Some haikus in Latent Verse are humorous, some unsettling, and many deeply relatable. Emotionally charged content has been shown to be more memorable because it increases physiological arousal and attention (Tyng et al., 2017). The emotional resonance of the poetry creates stronger and more durable memory traces.

5. Self-Paced and Spaced Learning

Learners navigate the haikus one at a time, at their own pace, which introduces natural spacing between concepts. Spaced learning improves long-term retention (Cepeda et al., 2006), and self-directed pacing reduces cognitive overload while giving students control over their learning journey, key for sustained engagement.

6. Metacognitive Reflection

By encouraging students to guess the psychological principle before revealing the answer, the activity fosters metacognitive awareness; the ability to evaluate and reflect on one’s own understanding. This self-assessment process is crucial for academic growth and improves learners’ ability to transfer knowledge to new contexts (Flavell, 1979).

Simply Put

Latent Verse is more than a poetic novelty; it is a deliberate application of evidence-based learning strategies, thoughtfully wrapped in a calming and creative interface. Its power lies in the combination of reflection, emotional resonance, and active recall; elements that not only help students study, but also think.

References

Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380.

Craik, F. I. M., & Lockhart, R. S. (1972). Levels of processing: A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11(6), 671–684.

Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive–developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906–911.

Paivio, A. (1986). Mental representations: A dual coding approach. Oxford University Press.

Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255.

Tyng, C. M., Amin, H. U., Saad, M. N. M., & Malik, A. S. (2017). The influences of emotion on learning and memory. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1454.