---
type: permanent
status: mature
created: "2026-01-20"
description: "Asking 'why' and 'how' during study forces deeper processing — 72% better retention than re-reading"
tags:
  - study-techniques
  - comprehension
  - elaboration
---

# Elaborative Interrogation

Elaborative interrogation is a learning strategy where the learner generates explanations for stated facts by asking "why" and "how" questions. Rather than accepting information passively, the learner actively constructs meaning.

## How It Works

1. Read a fact: "Spaced practice is more effective than massed practice"
2. Ask: "Why would this be true?"
3. Generate an explanation: "Because spacing allows consolidation and creates retrieval difficulty"
4. The explanation process activates prior knowledge and builds connections

## Why It's Effective

- Forces [[Active Recall]] of related knowledge to construct the explanation
- Creates richer encoding by linking new information to existing [[Schema Theory]] structures
- Engages [[Metacognition]] -- you must monitor whether your explanation makes sense
- Produces more durable memories than re-reading or highlighting

## Research Support

Pressley et al. (1992) found that elaborative interrogation improved memory by 72% compared to reading alone. It works best when learners have some prior knowledge to draw on.

## Connections

- A deeper form of [[Active Recall]] that targets understanding, not just retention
- Builds and strengthens [[Schema Theory]] structures through connection-making
- Requires and develops [[Metacognition]] -- monitoring the quality of explanations
- A [[Desirable Difficulties]] technique (generating explanations is effortful)
- Synergises with [[Chunking]] -- explanations bind elements into coherent units

#study-techniques #comprehension #elaboration
