Forgetting the details of what we read is a common and frustrating experience. There are several reasons why our minds struggle to hold onto the information from texts and books. In this article, we’ll explore the cognitive and lifestyle factors that contribute to poor reading retention and provide tips for remembering more of what you read.
We Have Limited Working Memory
A key reason we struggle to remember reading material is the limited capacity of our working memory. Working memory is a short-term memory system involved in temporarily storing and manipulating information. It acts as a mental workspace when we engage in complex cognitive tasks like reading comprehension and learning. Research suggests our working memory can only hold around 3-5 “chunks” of information at a time before reaching capacity.
When reading, we have to juggle multiple chunks of information like sentences, paragraphs, characters, themes, and plots. Our working memory fills up fast, making it hard to retain all the details. The more we read without breaks, the more strained our working memory becomes. This mental fatigue reduces our reading comprehension and recall.
We Build Incomplete Mental Models
To truly understand and remember reading material, we need to integrate the information into mental models in long-term memory. Mental models are knowledge structures made up of key concepts, relationships, and ideas within a text. Building accurate, well-connected mental models takes concentrated effort and multiple readings. However, we often construct them hastily since reading demands focused attention and mental energy. As a result, our mental models of the text end up sparse and incomplete. We miss the deeper meaning and forget the subtle details that tie everything together.
According to researchers, when our mental representations of texts are vague and disjointed, it’s harder for the brain to store and retrieve the information later. On the other hand, texts that help readers build robust mental models tend to be more memorable.
We Fail to Make Connections
To transform reading material into durable long-term memories, we need to actively relate the new information to existing knowledge and experiences. This helps integrate the concepts into our neural networks instead of remaining isolated bits of data. However, making meaningful connections requires concentrated effort that we don’t always expend, especially with challenging material. Research shows reflective learning practices like summarizing, asking questions, and relating texts to personal experiences improves reading comprehension and recall. Without these active processes, the details are unlikely to stick.
We Lack Background Knowledge
Prior knowledge and familiarity with a topic also facilitates deeper encoding and retention of reading material. When the content covers new concepts and complex domain knowledge, our lack of background information makes it harder to understand, connect ideas, and consolidate memories. For example, readers familiar with economics and business principles will recall more details from a finance book compared to readers with no expertise in those areas. Building up general knowledge over time expands our mental frameworks and gives us reference points to better remember what we read.
Our Retrieval Practice is Weak
The act of retrieving a memory further strengthens and consolidates it. However, most of us don’t practice effective retrieval habits after reading. Once we finish the book or article, we move on without trying to actively recall the information again later. This lack of deliberate retrieval practice makes it easier to forget. Research demonstrates testing yourself on the concepts, explaining them to others, and revisiting the material over time enhances retention significantly compared to just passive rereading.
We Get Distracted While Reading
Paying full attention is essential for converting reading material into durable memories. However, we often get distracted while reading by external stimuli like notifications or internal thoughts about unfinished tasks. Switching focus even briefly hampers comprehension, mental model building, and encoding processes. Studies show reading on screens and smartphones with constant pings and alerts substantially reduces retention compared to reading print books. Eliminating distractions as much as possible creates optimal conditions for remembering what you read.
Tips for Remembering More of What You Read
Fortunately, you can take several steps to boost retention and minimize forgetting with the following evidence-based strategies:
Take Breaks
Take short breaks every 20-30 minutes to give your working memory a rest. This prevents cognitive overload and mental fatigue.
Vary Your Reading Location
Read in different settings like your desk, couch, backyard, coffee shop. Unique cues help strengthen and retrieve spatial memories.
Summarize and Take Notes
Verbalizing the key ideas in your own words reinforces comprehension and connections.
Draw Concept Maps
Sketch out concept maps to visualize relationships between ideas and boost mental model building.
Explain Concepts to Others
Actively teaching friends or colleagues about the material improves long-term retention.
Quiz Yourself
Test yourself on key concepts with self-quizzing and flashcards for better encoding.
Space Out Multiple Readings
Reread material across days or weeks instead of cramming. This “spaced repetition” produces stronger memories.
Overlearn Key Points
Identify absolutely critical ideas and review them more intensely.
Relate to What You Already Know
Connect new concepts to prior knowledge and personal experiences.
Reduce Multitasking
Avoid distractions and divided attention by turning off notifications and apps.
Choose Focused Reading Settings
Reduce external distractions by reading in quiet settings without too much sensory stimuli.
The Forgetting Curve
Our memory for newly learned information decays rapidly after initial encoding before leveling off. This exponential decline in retention over time is known as the forgetting curve. Reading comprehension and recall follows the same curve – we forget around 50% of details within an hour and 70% within 24 hours. Spaced repetition and retrieval practice can help counteract the forgetting curve and retain knowledge long-term.
| Time After Learning | Level of Forgetting |
|---|---|
| 20 minutes | 50% forgotten |
| 1 hour | 66% forgotten |
| 9 hours | 75% forgotten |
| 1 day | 80% forgotten |
| 1 week | 88% forgotten |
The Role of Emotion in Memory
Evolution has wired our brains to better remember emotional experiences and information compared to neutral content. When texts elicit emotional responses like excitement, curiosity, or surprise, it causes the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and other neurotransmitters that boost encoding and memory consolidation.
The amygdala region of the brain flags emotional content as important, leading to stronger memories. However, extreme negative emotions like fear while reading can impair focus and overload working memory.
Overall, looking for positive emotional connections as you read can enhance retention. You’re more likely to remember a moving passage than dry technical material.
Individual Differences in Reading Memory
Our ability to retain reading material varies significantly based on individual capabilities and aptitudes. Here are key factors that influence reading memory across people:
Working Memory Capacity
People with greater working memory capacity are better at processing complex info and connecting ideas when reading.
Prior Knowledge
Extensive background knowledge in a domain boosts comprehension, integration, and recall of new material.
Reading Skill
Stronger active reading skills like summarizing, visualization, and making inferences improves encoding.
Focus
Greater concentration while reading minimizes distractions and deepens understanding.
Interest
High interest and intrinsic motivation in the content leads to better comprehension and memory.
The Moonwalking Bear Phenomenon
Our attention also plays a major role in determining what we remember from texts. In a famous experiment, participants watched a video of people passing basketballs. They were asked to count the number of passes between players wearing white. During the video, a person in a bear costume walked through the scene. Remarkably, nearly half the people concentrating on the basketball passes failed to notice the bear entirely. This highlights our limited perceptual and cognitive capacity to process all the sensory details around us when focused intently on a primary task like reading.
The inability to detect something as conspicuous as a moonwalking bear illustrates how focused reading may lead us to miss seemingly obvious details. We can enhance retention by reading texts closely multiple times and remaining vigilant for surprising elements we may have overlooked.
Conclusion
Forgetting most of what we read is normal given our mental limitations. But implementing science-backed techniques like spaced repetition, active recall, overlearning important points, creating mental models, and generating emotional connections can counteract the forgetting curve dramatically. With consistent practice, you can retain far more of the wisdom from books and develop a lifelong love for learning.