Chapter 2: Further Reading

These sources range from foundational academic papers to highly accessible books. Start with whichever format matches where your curiosity is sharpest.

Baddeley, A. D. (2007). Working Memory, Thought, and Action. Oxford University Press.

Alan Baddeley's working memory model, which refined and extended the original Atkinson-Shiffrin model, is the dominant framework in the field. This book, his most comprehensive treatment for a general academic audience, covers the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, the episodic buffer, and the central executive — the four components of his model. It's more technical than a casual read but accessible to anyone willing to engage with the material carefully. If you want to understand why working memory constraints look the way they do — and why things like reading aloud, drawing diagrams, and verbal rehearsal all help in specific ways — this is where to go.

Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (1992). A new theory of disuse and an old theory of stimulus fluctuation. In A. Healy, S. Kosslyn, & R. Shiffrin (Eds.), From Learning Processes to Cognitive Processes: Essays in Honor of William K. Estes (Vol. 2, pp. 35–67). Erlbaum.

This is the original paper introducing the distinction between storage strength and retrieval strength that underlies so much of this book's approach to studying. It's an academic chapter, not casual reading, but the core ideas are clearly articulated and have had an enormous influence on subsequent learning science research. If the concept of "desirable difficulties" — or the counterintuitive benefit of allowing some forgetting before reviewing — resonates with you, tracking down this original source is worthwhile.

Atkinson, R. C., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control processes. In K. Spence & J. Spence (Eds.), The Psychology of Learning and Motivation (Vol. 2, pp. 89–195). Academic Press.

The classic paper that proposed the multi-store model — sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory — and launched decades of memory research. Reading historical papers in psychology can be illuminating in ways that later summaries aren't: you see the original arguments, the data they were working with, and the specific claims they were making (which are often more nuanced than how they get cited later). Available through academic libraries.

Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Harvard University Press. (Chapters 2–3)

Make It Stick contains two chapters that directly complement this chapter's material: one on encoding and memory consolidation, and one on the mechanics of retrieval practice. The writing is accessible and story-driven, and the research is presented with appropriate nuance. Particularly good on the distinction between performance during study (which can be high even when learning is low) and long-term retention. Reading the book alongside this one is an excellent investment.

Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20–27.

A concise and readable review article that synthesizes the retrieval practice literature from one of the field's most important researchers. It covers the core testing effect research, discusses why retrieval produces better retention than restudying, and addresses the role of feedback in retrieval practice. This is a good bridge between the foundational research and the practical implications developed in Chapter 7 of this book. Freely available through many university library systems.