Do you feel like you’re constantly bombarded with information and tasks every day?
Cognitive overload is so ubiquitous that it feels like the new normal in our personal and professional lives, so much so that we often feel like our brains are fried. We’re constantly trying to absorb more information and get more done. Even when we implement systems to help us cope and try desperately to stay organized and focused, cognitive overload feels inevitable due to our unrelenting, complex information-intense environments.
In Part One of this blog, we’ll delve into Cognitive Load Theory, including the three types of cognitive load. We’ll also examine cognitive overload and some of its most systemic causes. Let’s get started.
Cognitive Load Theory
The Australian education psychologist John Sweller initially identified the Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) concept in the 1980s. He used this instructional design framework to pinpoint scenarios where students were presented with excessive information or tasks that overwhelmed their brains, hindering their learning ability.
CLT submits that human brains have limited memory resources, particularly those involved in working memory. One of the brain’s executive functions, working memory, is the cognitive ability to temporarily hold and manipulate a limited amount of information in the mind while performing a task, to reason and to solve problems. It helps people keep specific details “front of mind” for processing purposes, including those they haven’t committed to long-term memory. It supports many daily mental functions like learning, problem-solving and decision-making and is essential for activities like reading, conversing, completing calculations and following instructions. Working memory is extremely limited in capacity and duration and can become easily overwhelmed when processing large quantities of new or complex information, reducing comprehension and retention.
CLT recognizes three types of cognitive load:
- Intrinsic cognitive load is the inherent complexity of a specific topic or task. For instance, advanced calculus is more challenging than basic arithmetic. People manage this load by breaking complex tasks into more straightforward, manageable components.
- Extraneous cognitive load refers to how difficult it is to understand something based on its presentation or teaching. For example, the extraneous load increases if an instruction manual is confusing and poorly worded. To decrease the load, instructions should be clear and easy to follow.
- Germane cognitive load refers to the mental effort necessary to form meaningful connections and create permanent stores of knowledge (schema) in long-term memory. It’s how the brain connects new information with what it already knows. Individuals manage a germane load whenever they learn a new skill, discover a new fact, or have a new experience.
Whenever the brain encounters something novel, it creates a schema. This process allows the brain to access that information again and apply it to a similar situation. Everyone processes information differently, and thus, germane loads are not static. Individuals establish unique methods for recalling and retrieving the information they need.
Cognitive Overload
Cognitive overload is the mental exhaustion people feel when the demands they place on their working memory exceed their capacity to process information. It impairs their ability to focus and concentrate, complicates decision-making, and ultimately decreases productivity.
Some of the most common systemic causes of cognitive overload in the workplace are:
- Supply-related overload involves the oversupply of two forms of information. The first is pushed information, over which one has little control, and includes emails, texts, chats, phone calls, mail, memos, invitations, social media, and other digital channels. The second is retrievable information, in which one intentionally seeks to respond to a question or acquire more profound knowledge on a particular subject. This information usually resides online or in filing cabinets, libraries, databases, archives, newspapers, emails, discussions with colleagues, meeting notes, and chat requests. Individuals must decide whether, how and when to use both information supply types, which can lead to cognitive overload.
- Multitasking and interruption are related and contribute significantly to cognitive overload. In our persistent quest to become more efficient, we’re told that we must master the art of multitasking. Instead of increasing efficiency, attempting to complete multiple tasks simultaneously usually leads to decreased productivity, as the brain struggles to switch between tasks. Interruption happens when we shift from one task context to another. For example, halting a writing project to answer a colleague’s question is an interruption. Stopping the project to check emails is a self-interruption, constituting roughly half of all interruptions. These interruptions, plus the increased frequency of interruptions at work, also contribute to cognitive overload.
- Complex tasks require abundant cognitive resources. Suppose workers aren’t adequately trained to address these tasks because they are too intricate or demanding. In that case, their working memory can become overwhelmed, causing them to struggle with effectively processing information, leading to cognitive overload.
- Increased demands, such as tight deadlines, excessive workloads, unfamiliar technology and unnecessarily complicated work processes, can strain cognitive resources considerably. These heavy demands compound employees’ cognitive load, leaving them feeling like they can never catch up no matter how hard they try, significantly increasing the risk of burnout.
- Lack of clarity, such as poorly organized, convoluted training materials, can increase extraneous cognitive load, inhibiting learning. It’s not just the complexity of tasks or subject matter but also how they are presented to employees.
- Chaotic, overcrowded and noisy environments, like open-plan office spaces, demand the brain’s attention even when the external stimuli aren’t directly related to the current task. Thus, they effectively divert processing power away from the primary task, straining the already limited capacity of the working memory and increasing cognitive load.
Whenever employees are bombarded with overwhelming amounts of information, stimuli and demands that are more than their minds can integrate, they struggle with cognitive overload. When learning and performance suffer, people feel overwhelmed, burned out and anxious.
Now that you understand Cognitive Load Theory and how cognitive overload happens, stay tuned for Part Two, where we’ll cover the symptoms and behaviors related to cognitive overload and how it negatively affects individuals and organizations. We’ll also explore tips for mitigating its harmful effects on yourself and your team while maintaining productivity and improving work-life balance.
Anne Evenson is a native Austinite and a proud Veteran’s spouse with over 20 years of marketing, communications and program coordination experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. She is also a sculptor, jeweler and all-around dabbler in the arts and loves to help military-connected individuals discover their inner creativity.
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