A powerful but partial learning theory focusing on the limitations of working memory. Cognitive load is made up of three different types: - Intrinsic cognitive load: The inherent difficulty of learning something. Varies for people based on how they learn and what they know already. - Extraneous cognitive load: The difficulty of learning based on environment and presentation. Bad presentation, social media notifications and some types of music are examples of extraneous cognitive load you should limit. Turning a page, or deciphering text into ideas is also extraneous. - Germane cognitive load: The mental energy required to structure and place new knowledge in long-term memory. Our working memory can store 4 chunks of information at a time. We should therefore be careful about polluting that limited space with - Extraneous cognitive load from [[Context switching|context switching]], notifications, distracting environments and bad presentation. In an ideal environment, there is no extraneous cognitive load (though that is basically impossible). - Too much intrinsic cognitive load by learning way beyond our current level. We need to leave space for germane cognitive load. Without any germane cognitive load, the learning doesn't matter at all, as nothing is committed to long-term memory. [^1] [^1]: The Decision Lab. n.d. “The Decision Lab - Behavioral Science, Applied.” Accessed January 14, 2026. [https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/cognitive-load-theory](https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/cognitive-load-theory). [[DecisionLabBehavioral|Annotations]]