Scale Overview & Construct
15-item scale measuring three types of cognitive load experienced while learning: Intrinsic Cognitive Load (difficulty of the content itself), Extraneous Cognitive Load (difficulty caused by how the material is designed/presented), and Germane Cognitive Load (effort spent actively processing and understanding the material).
Purpose & Measurement Objectives
Instrument Specifications
Academic Citation & Instrument Provenance
When referencing this instrument in research, academic theses, or clinical institutional audits, please cite the original author publication:
Governance, Boundaries & Ethical Use
Imported from the OpenScales open item-bank project. This specific digital implementation has not been independently clinically validated by PsiQ — scores are for self-reflection, research, and educational purposes only. Answer with a specific recent learning experience in mind for the most meaningful result.
License: CC BY 4.0. Citation: Krieglstein, F., Beege, M., Rey, G. D., Sanchez-Stockhammer, C., & Schneider, S. (2023). Development and validation of a theory-based questionnaire to measure different types of cognitive load. Educational Psychology Review, 35(1), 37. This is not a diagnostic tool.