Cognitive load theory
IB PsychologyΒ· Cognitive approachΒ· 11 min read
1. Core concept
Cognitive load theory says working memory can hold only a small amount of information at once, so learning suffers when the mental effort a task demands exceeds that capacity. Load comes from the material's intrinsic difficulty and from how it is presented. The practical payoff is instructional: presenting information in ways that stay within working-memory limits improves learning.
2. Key studies
IB Psychology answers must be supported by named studies. Learn these to cite as evidence:
Baddeley, Thompson & Buchanan (1975)
Short-term memory held more short words than long ones, indicating a limited, time-based capacity of the phonological loop. β Establishes the limited-capacity premise that cognitive load theory is built on.
3. Evaluation (AO3)
Strength β practical and applied β Generates concrete, testable instructional-design predictions (e.g. worked examples, avoiding split attention).
Limitation β load is hard to measure β Cognitive load is inferred rather than directly observed, so separating intrinsic from presentation-caused load is difficult.
4. Scope
5. Common Pitfalls
Wrong move:
Treating 'cognitive load' as just being generally busy or tired.
Why:
A frequently penalised misconception in IB Psychology exams.
Correct move:
It specifically means the demand on limited working memory during learning/problem-solving β a capacity claim, not a mood or fatigue claim.
Going deeper
- Cognitive models (of memory)the limited-capacity working-memory model it rests on is a cognitive model β COG_4.