Effort After Meaning - GCSE Psychology Definition

Reviewed by: Raj Bonsor

Published

'Effort After Meaning' is a term used in psychology to describe how our brains work to make sense of things we do not understand right away. When we see something confusing or unknown, our brains try hard to find a meaning or pattern that fits with what we already know.

In Bartlett’s theory of reconstructive memory, effort after meaning is the mental process used after experiencing an event or story. This is where, instead of recalling every exact detail, we actively try to make the information meaningful to us. We focus on the overall gist and then fill in or reshape any missing or unfamiliar parts so the memory fits our existing knowledge, culture and expectations.

Examiner-written GCSE Psychology revision resources that improve your grades 2x

  • Written by expert teachers and examiners
  • Aligned to exam specifications
  • Everything you need to know, and nothing you don’t
GCSE Psychology revision resources

Share this article

Raj Bonsor

Reviewer: Raj Bonsor

Expertise: Psychology & Sociology Content Creator

Raj joined Save My Exams in 2024 as a Senior Content Creator for Psychology & Sociology. Prior to this, she spent fifteen years in the classroom, teaching hundreds of GCSE and A Level students. She has experience as Subject Leader for Psychology and Sociology, and her favourite topics to teach are research methods (especially inferential statistics!) and attachment. She has also successfully taught a number of Level 3 subjects, including criminology, health & social care, and citizenship.

The examiner written revision resources that improve your grades 2x.

Join now