Effort After Meaning - GCSE Psychology Definition

'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.