ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Enactment effect

Hey there! The enactment effect refers to the way that we remember information better when we practice or act it out ourselves.

Imagine that you are trying to learn how to tie your shoes. Someone might tell you the steps: "Take one lace and make a loop, then take the other lace and make another loop, and then tuck one loop into the other and pull tight." That's all well and good, but it might be hard to remember those steps exactly without getting confused.

But if someone showed you how to tie your shoes and then let you practice it yourself, you would probably remember how to do it much better. This is because your brain is combining two things: the visual and physical experience of actually doing the task, and the verbal explanation that you heard.

So the enactment effect is when we remember something better if we actually practice doing it ourselves, rather than just hearing about how to do it. This applies to all sorts of things, like learning how to ride a bike, cook a new recipe, or give a speech. Basically, if you want to remember something really well, try to actually do it yourself!