Elaborative encoding

“Elaborative encoding” describes what we do when we relate knowledge to existing memories or experiences. Making these connections is thought to improve recall, particularly when connections are made to especially distinctive and emotionally-connected targets.

It’s most often used in mnemonic methods, where people might remember numbers by relating them to celebrities, places, smells, etc.

Some Spaced repetition memory system users explicitly write prompts to promote elaborative encoding. Experiments by Karpicke and Smith (2012) suggest this may not be adding much, vs. retrieval practice alone. Related: Retrieval practice appears to be a more effective learning activity than elaborative encoding.

References

Karpicke, J. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2011). Retrieval Practice Produces More Learning than Elaborative Studying with Concept Mapping. Science, 331(6018), 772–775.

Karpicke, J. D., & Smith, M. A. (2012). Separate mnemonic effects of retrieval practice and elaborative encoding. Journal of Memory and Language, 67(1), 17–29. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jml.2012.02.004

Queue

Bradshaw, G. L., & Anderson, J. R. (1982). Elaborative encoding as an explanation of levels of processing. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 21(2), 165–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5371(82)90531-X

Backlinks

• Evergreen notes should be densely linked
  • If we push ourselves to add lots of links between our notes, that makes us think expansively about what other concepts might be related to what we’re thinking about. It creates pressure to think carefully about how ideas relate to each other (see Understanding requires effortful engagement and Evergreen notes should be concept-oriented). It’ll also help you internalize the ideas more deeply through Elaborative encoding.
• Testing effect
  • It also seems to lead to more durable memory (Karpicke and Smith, 2012) and improved learning performance in general (Karpicke and Blunt, 2011) relative to Elaborative encoding-based practice alone.
• Karpicke, J. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2011). Retrieval Practice Produces More Learning than Elaborative Studying with Concept Mapping. Science, 331(6018), 772–775.
  • Experiment comparing Concept mapping (invoking Elaborative encoding) vs. retrieval practice (invoking Testing effect) on memory. Like Karpicke and Smith (2012), this paper is also interested in whether the effects of retrieval practice seem to be due to elaborative encoding, or whether there’s some other process going on.
• Spaced repetition memory prompts should connect and relate ideas
  • When using a Spaced repetition memory system to learn facts, the naive approach leads to learning a lot of facts in isolation: the name of a protein, the date of an event, the size of a physical constant. But because Rich understanding is about connection, it’s better to relate these facts to other ideas. This will both help you remember more reliably (due to Elaborative encoding) but also help you develop a richer understanding that goes beyond simple facts.
• Expert response heuristic, after Issa Rice
  • When a prompt fails this heuristic, it’s usually encoding author-specific interpretation, framing, example, wording, etc. This is often helpful, particularly as a sort of Elaborative encoding or a way of cultivating emotional interest. But it can also produce parochial understanding. In the case of shared prompts, or of the mnemonic medium, such prompts can produce frustrating false negatives, since they ask readers to learn how a specific source presents material: Mnemonic medium readers sometimes feel impeded by authors’ wording choices.
• Rich understanding is about connection
  • This is in part about Elaborative encoding.
• Writing one’s own spaced repetition prompts seems to promote understanding
  • Related: Generation effect, Elaborative encoding
• 2020-11-01 – 2020-11-07
  • Better understanding of Testing effect and Generation effect, read a bunch of papers around that. Incrementally better understanding of Elaborative encoding. A nice review paper:
• Active Learning Online - Stephen Kosslyn
  • Q. What surprising experimental result illustrates the “deep processing” principle?
• [[Karpicke, J. D., & Smith, M. A. (2012). Separate mnemonic effects of retrieval practice and elaborative encoding. Journal of Memory and Language, 67(1), 17–29.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2012.02.004]]
* Is the Testing effect produced by Elaborative encoding? When you review prompts in a Spaced repetition memory system, you give yourself an opportunity to form new connections based on your current context and the different thoughts you have during the review session.