L·06
Learning & Memory
Ask Why It's True
Asking “why would that be the case?” while reading beats any amount of summarising.
- Evidence
- solid
- Topic
- Learning
- Things to do
- 3
- Read
- 1 min
solidHow strong is the evidence?
Good evidence behind it, but fewer people have checked it independently.
- Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013 — elaborative interrogation & self-explanation rated moderate-to-high utility
Why it works
Explanation forces you to connect the new fact to what you already know, which is what makes it retrievable later.
What to do about it
- At each claim, ask: why is this true, and what would be true if it were false?
- Explain the step you just did out loud before doing the next one.
- Connect every new idea to one thing you already know well. One link is enough.
Where people go wrong
Summarising, which can be done fluently without understanding anything.
Read next
- Retrieval Beats ReviewTrying to recall something strengthens memory far more than reading it again. Rereading mostly builds confidence.proven
- SpacingThe same total study time, spread out, produces far more durable memory than massed together.proven
- InterleavingMixing problem types during practice feels worse and performs better than doing them in blocks.proven
- Guess Before You're ToldAttempting an answer before learning it improves later retention — even when the guess is wrong.solid