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What is cognitive load?

PsychologyLesson on requestFree to read

Quick answer

Cognitive load is the amount of mental effort being used in your working memory at once. Since working memory is limited, overloading it makes learning and thinking harder — which is why clear, well-structured information is easier to absorb. It's the mental effort used by working memory.

Key things to understand

  1. It's the mental effort used by working memory.
  2. Working memory can only hold so much at once.
  3. Overload makes learning and problem-solving harder.
  4. Clear, chunked information lowers the load.

People also ask

What is cognitive load?
The total mental effort being used in working memory at a given moment.
Why does cognitive load matter for learning?
Working memory is limited, so too much load at once overwhelms it and hurts understanding.
How can you reduce cognitive load?
Break information into chunks, remove clutter, use visuals, and build on what's already familiar.