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TermCraft conventionFoundational

Cognitive Load

How hard your brain has to work to get something done.

Definition

The amount of working memory required to complete a task, divided into intrinsic, extraneous and germane load.

Craft convention. True because the industry converged on it. Breaking it costs familiarity, not correctness.

In plain language

How hard your brain has to work to get something done.

Example

Splitting an 18-field form into five labelled groups reduces extraneous load without removing any information.

Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.

Deeper reading

The full entry behind this definition.

Related concept

Connected closely enough to change how you apply this.

Nearby in the Atlas

Adjacent territory, found through shared tags rather than a stated link.